A Story for Jonathan
a brief snapshot of STORMHistory...
Yesterday, I shared "The Robert Justman Story" with an accomplished Actor whom I greatly admire. I met him before he began work on a new Star Trek series and was fortunate enough to shake his hand.
The Robert Justman Story
Years ago, while in Los Angeles, I called Gene Roddenberry's office and, to my surprise, reached Robert Justman. It was a different era.
At the time, I felt I might have a chance to serve as composer for the new series. The Music I had recently written for Jonathan Heap's 12:01 PM, starring Kurtwood Smith, received special praise in Variety, and Jonathan was nominated for an Academy Award.
Despite my boyish pitch, Mr. Justman said one of the most honest things I had ever heard in the business:
"How am I going to explain to 7-Up that I gave a job to a guy who hasn't done television yet?"
Then, with the kind of compassion that seemed characteristic of Star Trek, he added:
"All good things come to those who wait."
In part because of those words, I later composed Wait of the World, which concludes STORMWORKS Chapter 3, beautifully recorded by The Marine Band of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
After sharing that story, the Actor took time to reply. I was both surprised and honored that he would be so Kind.
"I'm curious," he wrote. "Did you continue composing for film and television after that? Looking back, is there a particular piece you've written that you're most proud of? I'd love to hear more about your musical journey."
The short answer: as of June 5, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., I have composed 1,446 works… also several novels. In the last two days alone, I wrote 14 minutes & 15 seconds of Music in six cues for an upcoming animated feature.
When people ask which piece is most significant or which work I am most proud of, I always point to my kids as an example of an impossible response. I have two Sons, and just like Mel says in The Patriot, both are better Men.
There is so much Music! Perhaps the work that haunts me most …at the moment… is Symphony V: The End of History. Its premiere was postponed. Sadly, Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann passed away during its creation.
But because of your response to the Robert Justman story, I'd like to share another, one I suspect you’ll enjoy, and one that connects directly to the very first of the "Storm" works.
In 1986, I walked onto a Roger Corman film set in Los Angeles. To this day, I don’t remember how I slipped past the guards, but somehow, I kept walking on, day after day. Soon enough, I was no longer an outsider. The cast and crew accepted me. I was even helping out, pulling levers for the special EFX team!
It was a low-budget horror thriller, nothing glamorous, but I was fascinated by the process. Whenever anyone asked, "Who are you?" or "What are you doing here?" I always gave the same answer, usually with a smile:
"I'm the Composer!”
Forget cell phones (which were like $800 a month then) and laptops! I had what mattered most: manuscript paper and a pencil. (I moved to the Pen for my 1st Symphony, two years later.)
While on the set, I composed a fully orchestrated main theme, hoping to earn the director’s attention. One day, we walked into the bathroom at the same time. (Sorry, I wish this could be more “story-book,” but that’s how it happened!)
After washing our hands, I handed him the score.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm the Composer!”
He was cordial and intrigued for about a week. He scheduled three lunches with me. He canceled all three… always at the last possible moment. In the end, the score was written by one of his friends.
Having been in Hollywood only a few weeks, I needed to return home for band camp and the upcoming school year.
But that was not the end of the story.
In 1988, the piece conceived on that film set two years earlier became portions of two significant works: MINDSTORM, the second movement of the S-Matrix Symphony, and TIMESTORM, which I transcribed from the original orchestral score for my high school band. Later, it became the first movement of Stormworks, the 3-movement piece.
Movement 3 of Stormworks quotes a portion of a piece I had written in 1976 called After the Storm.
In 1992, I sent Stormworks to a ONE band. It was offered as a gift in dedication to Operation Desert Storm. That simple action has brought us to this date in Time with many thousands of worldwide renderings.
Speaking of “being haunted,” of never really divesting yourself of Music you thought was finally out of your system, this morning I kept hearing “of Great & Hidden Things.”
After composing SYMPHONY V, I retreated, as I always do, to the calm of what I call “Musical Haikus.” And so, I conclude this letter with, “of Great & Hidden Things, version 2.” It is on STORMTracks here: https://stephenmelillo.com/track/4732434/of-great-hidden-things-version-2
You can find Stormworks and STORMWORKS Chapter 1: Without Warning on the STORMSite under Tracks and on your favorite streaming platforms.
TIMESTORM (M1 from “Stormworks”)… on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/4y6BsYPb9CcSPjUlVtQIcy?si=17325ece1bd74a69
Remembering the Future (M3 from “Wait of the World”)… on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/4OvsRnQtoeKdGiEhhLRgs7?si=4a8a69b171454c15
Jonathan, thank you SO much for reading, listening, and allowing me to share this brief journey.
Godspeed!
S