It is surprising to note that when I was doing research for this article I found world renowned individuals represented in the fields of business, politics, science, medicine, sports and the arts including musicians and composers.

When we think of the gifted and illustrious composers of the past few centuries and even in modern times, most people would not have imagined they had hard times and unfortunate periods in their lives. Some examples of these famous people follow:

Musicians and Composers

Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791) was a prodigy and wunderkind, musically gifted beyond belief. He was proficient on the harpsichord at the age of four and composing at age five. However, he was often restless and even dismissed as a court musician in Salzburg, Austria. Mozart struggled to support his family financially and was always in need of his patron’s commissions. He died at the untimely age of 35, destitute. It is said that his early demise was brought about by overwork and financial worries. In his short life he wrote over 600 compositions. Think what this output would have been had he lived a normal life span.

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827) was one of history’s greatest composers. As a youth he was awkward on the violin, reportedly due to non-practice. He was described as an angry young man mainly due to his father’s browbeating and bullying. One of his teachers said of him, “As a composer he is hopeless.” Deafness is a tragedy for anyone but for a musician/composer it is catastrophic. Deafness changed Beethoven’s whole personality and he became “A miserable old grump.” Unbelievably he composed his later works when he was totally deaf. He evolved from his early inadequacies to become one of the greatest composers of all time.

Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) enjoyed tremendous acclaim and success, especially from his ballet scores in his later years. He was literally run out of town after the premier of the ballet Le Sacre du Printemps (the Rite of Spring) in 1913.” Le Sacre du Printemps provoked a riot – nobody was ready for this extraordinary portrayal of ancient fertility rites with savage harmonies and irregular pounding rhythms. “Le Sacre du Printemps is a primitive, ritualistic breathtakingly modern, and the most single influential piece of twentieth-century music,” according to Marcus Weeks in his book, Music.  Stravinsky’s life is a story of rejection to adoration and he was a champion of twentieth-century music.

Elvis Presley (1935-1977) was a true American Icon who came from being literally a “nobody” to an international box office phenomenon. In 1954 Jimmy Dean, who was the manager of the Grand Ole Opry, fired Elvis after just one performance. “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son,” said Dean. “You ought to go back to driving a truck.”  If anybody ever had to eat their words, it was Jimmy Dean!

Henry Mancini (1924-1994) award winning, Oscar winning, Grammy winning musician/composer/arranger was another success story that had a rough beginning. His daughter, Felice Mancini, writes, “My father was not a good student. He got D’s and occasional F’s and many C’s throughout his school years. But he seemed to shine when it came to music and got A’s on every report card. He was fortunate to have music available to him and teachers who recognized his gift.” Mancini’s greatest claim to fame was being a staff composer and arranger at Universal Studios. He was the first to introduce Jazz to television and film scores that made his work unique. His compositions became huge hits among some are: Pink Panther, Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and TV theme songs, Mr. Lucky, Peter Gunn and Charlie’s Angels. Mancini also wrote and arranged for Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman.

Other famous non-musicians with dubious beginnings are:

Henry Ford, who had early failed businesses and went broke five times.

R. H. Macy had seven failed businesses before his department store empire.

Colonel Sander’s recipe was rejected over 1,000 times before a restaurant accepted it.

Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard and had a failed first business.

Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”

Winston Churchill struggled in school and failed sixth grade. He was defeated in many elections before he was twice elected Prime Minister and a Nobel Prize winner. He was recognized as being one of the world’s greatest orators and Churchill was also a very prolific writer.

Overcoming obstacles early in life can often lead to successful careers. Having a positive attitude and preparing yourself for your future career is most important for success. Don’t be discouraged by early disappointments as the future may hold great things.

Mark your calendar for the Danville Community Band’s Annual Free Spring Concert, Sunday, June 17^th, 3:00 at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net

Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

Vincent Freeman (interesting last name) is a God Child conceived on the Riviera. The car, that is.

Gattaca is Science Fiction Drama at its finest; a little bit out there and a whole lot believable. Released in 1998, this film still seems fresh. Somehow, Sci-Fi isn’t supposed to seem believable after 14 years. Back to the Riviera.  Vincent’s (Ethan Hawke) parents created a God Child in a time when genetic engineering was “just what you did” if you could afford it. He had flaws compared to what he could have been. His brother born a little later got the advantage, a better genetic quotient.

Vincent spent his life comparing himself to his brother and striving against all odds for a different life. He dreamed of breaking free from society’s constraints and traveling into space. His vision was to be a Navigator for the Gattaca Corporation.

Problem One … Navigators had to be “Valids”. If you were one of the natural born minority, there was no future in space flight. Enters Tony Shalhoub, under the radar, DNA Broker and Jerome Morrow (Jude Law), a “Valid” with a broken body.

I am so tempted to tell you how they did it, but I won’t. Vincent aka Jerome is accepted at Gattaca and begins to prepare for his space journey. Boy meets girl, Uma Thurman, who also works for Gattaca. His “Valid” brother also comes into the picture creating the tension a good movie needs. New Zealand screenwriter Andrew Niccol has his Directorial debut along with Alan Arkin who also acts in this film.

One of the things I thought kind of creepy was the automaton aspect of the employees of Gattaca. They dressed alike, talked alike and almost looked alike. As they entered the building they went through a type of turn-style that pricked their fingers for a blood sample to determine their validity. This is an environment that one eyelash could give away a ruse.

Gattaca is so morally complex; I’m not sure where to start. Can anyone spell HITLER? Have you read about the work of Planned Parenthood in the Appalachians? Eugenics is an evil thing. That is one woman’s perspective. Designer children are an abomination to God.  He doesn’t make junk and I think anyone who ever raised a handicapped child would agree. Vincent’s parents believed that a child of love would be happier so they put their faith in God’s hands. Then the specialists started talking to them about what could be done to improve their next child. The genetic engineering vs. education and experience is one topic still bandied about depending on what social circles you enjoy. I truly understand wanting what is best for your child. In some cities people are vying for a slot in a pre-school before their child is born. (So much for Big Bird!) We have a Creator who fashions perfect specimens every day, every minute.

I would ask a bigger question. What “validates” you? Do people validate you? Does your degree on the wall or money in the bank validate you? Hmmm. The movie starts with a quote on the screen, “Consider what God has done; who can straighten what He has made crooked?” This isn’t fatalism but a reminder of who God is. So, to quote Vincent at the beginning of this movie, “How perfect does your child have to be?”

I write, but it is perfectly okay to push back. Either way, watch the movie and tell me what you think at chastings@rockcliff.com.