Williams Scores Big

Patrick Williams would be the last one to put the rap on his “livelihood.” “Hey,” says the film and television composer, “I’ve done pretty well in this town for the last 20 years or so.”

“Pretty well,” to say the least. With a resume that includes more than 60 feature film scores, 30 TV film scores and countless television series underscoring to his credit, Williams is certifiably one of the most prolific and successful composers in the entertainment business.

But Williams’ not-so-secret real joy comes from the creation of pieces like the one he composed for ABC’s recent Earth Day special. Thursday, the score--which he calls the “Earth Day Overture”--will be debuted in Washington as part of the festivities surrounding the bicentennial of the copyright and patent laws. Williams will conduct the Marine Band in a performance of the work for President and Mrs. Bush.

“When I write a concert piece,” he explains, “it’s completely different from writing a movie score or a TV show. You get a different feeling, and doing this music felt like doing a concert piece. It felt like something I did just because I wanted to. It really took me somewhere else. I just let my mind wander, free from all the usual commercial constraints. And that gave me a lot of freedom. “

Like all of Williams’ work, the “Earth Day Overture” is melodic and listenable. If there is one theme common to his music--from the atmospheric settings for “The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd” to his Oscar-nominated score for “Breaking Away”--it’s communication.

“Let me put it as simply as I can,” Williams says. “Whether it’s concert music or commercial music, if it doesn’t reach out and touch an audience, then I just don’t know what I’m doing.”