Sweet Suite from a Movie About Bugs

Most weekdays, I provide taxi service for my children, getting them wherever they need to go while hoping that the effort doesn't make me too late in getting to the office. During the school year, this is often easier, in part because I'm considerably more "firm" in the enforcement of departure times. I admittedly relax that standard during the summer months.

The morning commute usually runs about 20-25 minutes, and I realized long ago that fighting a battle of what (if anything) plays on the car's CD player simply wasn't worth the effort. Happy kids increases the likelihood of good behavior - or at least behavior that minimizes the distraction to the driver. So we pretty much listen to whatever they want.

Fortunately for me, my kids enjoy a variety of music, and that includes soundtracks and instrumental compositions. Many of them, not surprisingly, have a Disney element. In the player right now is a Pixar's Greatest Hits compilation. On the whole, I enjoy it, in part because a substantial portion of the CD contains music composed by Randy Newman.

If you are aware of Newman's songwriting and singing, you know about his recognizable and distinctive voice. But he has also written numerous scores composed and arranged for orchestra or symphonic band. One such example is the piece below, entitled "A Bug's Life Suite" from, yes, the Pixar movie A Bug's Life. While not my favorite movie in the Pixar family, the piece below would be a delight to play. Having once had the opportunity to play the main theme music from The Magnificent Seven, I find some fun similarities when I listen to the Newman score. A similar flavor is found in the City Slickers soundtrack (which I adore) by Marc Shaiman.

Yes, I'm pining for the good old days where I could sit down with a symphonic array of musicians and lose myself for a few hours. I'll probably never stop pining for it, either. But I'll always make time to listen. Here's "A Bug's Life Suite", composed by Randy Newman.