Mr. Lira Meets Famous Composer, John Williams

Elaine Chan staFF Writer

Afterlifelong dedication to famous composer, John Williams, our very own Mr. Lira has finally met his idol. On February 8th, 2023 at his most recent concert, Modern World History/Ethnic Studies teacher, Mr. Lira tells the story of his long awaited meet and greet with John Williams. With a VIP ticket snagged at meetandgreetticket.com/John-Williams-Composer to the Williams Experience, Lira states that the line to get in was the longest and most exciting 45 minutes of his life. Proving to be the most successful and clever fan out there, Lira disclosed that he enrolled with 7 different accounts on 7 different devices, Apple products of course, to score his unbeatable tickets from Ticketmaster™. Explaining the tedious process of the tickets, Ticketmaster™ genius Mr. Lira, states that the VIP meet and greet tickets were purchased separately from his general admission. [insert quote about how he felt]

After asking some of his students about his passion for Williams’s arrangements, it is obvious that his brilliance does not go unnoticed in the Mills community. “I know a lot about him now too. Our extra credit questions and slideshows have John Williams weaved into them,” states Phoebe Piserchio (10), a student in his Modern World History course. When asking Mr. Lira himself, it is revealed that it all began in the year of 1981, when his older brother introduced him to his first track, “My brother who bought me the Superman II record after seeing the movie,” Lira states. His devotion to Williams goes unmatched as he tells that, “His music works outside of the film. He writes stellar music that stands the test of time.”

After that, his eyes were opened to the world of Williams and thus began the immersion in his daily life.

From Spotify playlists and movie posters to Academy Award Nominations, John Williams and Mr. Lira had formed a lasting bond for years to come. When asked about another esteemed film composer, Hans Zimmer, Mr. Lira expresses his distaste for Zimmer’s pieces. “His style ruined film music. Zimmer writes music by playing the keyboard as he watches the film.” Comparing his methods with Williams’s, Lira prais- es his ability to write most of his music, “..sitting down and on music notation paper; it’s all in his head.”

Behind the curtain at the exclusive meet and greet, Lira was seen holding a wrapped gift box and a bag of Skinny Pop. When asked about this, he told the Thunderbolt, “I gifted him the brand new IPhone 14 Pro and Ipad Pro with palm rejection. Oh and the Skinny Pop was a snack for him on the road.” Upon being next in line, he was surprised to see him taking a selfie with a Samsung Galaxy in hand. Thankfully, he could be the one to switch him over to the Apple family. Taking not one but two photos together, Lira describes the experience as, “..surreal and unforgettable.” It being his 42nd year being a part of the John Williams fandom, one can only imagine his level of excitement.

To add on, the Thunderbolt has just been let in on a juicy secret: John Williams is set to release his all-new documentary, John Williams at 91. Better yet, Mills High School’s very own Mr. Lira has been asked to feature as a fan and newfound friend of Williams. Receiving a grand total of 2 minutes and 8 seconds of screen time, he is ecstatic and cited that countless fans present at the meet and greet left utterly envious of Lira. While the release date is still unknown, Mr. Lira may have scheduled absences from school to film alongside the Williams crew for the aforementioned documentary. Readers can count on the team of reporters at the Thunderbolt to follow up on the highly anticipated cameo of Mr. Alex Lira.*