Music always meant a lot to me. I was certainly the only kid in my school who spent most of his time listening to film scores and classical music. Bernard Herrmann, Ennio Morricone and Kurt Weill pretty much ruled my world. The discovery of one composer or songwriter would lead me somewhere else, new sounds always awaiting, new obsessions to nurse. My world expanded--I loved Richard Strauss' Salome and Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska with equal passion. (The ardor for both has faded to muted respect.)
Though there was always music in my life--The Beatles always played somewhere in the background--this is the first piece I remember absolutely loving. Sure, it comes from a favorite movie from my childhood, but I think I realized I loved it as music separate from its context. In a sense, it's very possible I'd never have become the person I am if Elmer Bernstein hadn't entered the picture at exactly the right moment, revealing a world of audio delight I'd never known.
