William Motzing facts for kids

William Edward Motzing Jr. (born August 19, 1937, died January 30, 2014) was an American musician. He was a composer, conductor, arranger, and played the trombone. He became famous for writing music for movies and TV shows in Australia. He also arranged music for many popular albums that sold millions of copies. For 40 years, he taught jazz at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Early Life and Music Journey

William Motzing was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He went to the Eastman School of Music in New York. There, he studied alongside other musicians who would become famous, like Ron Carter and Chuck Mangione. He earned his first degree in 1959 and a master's degree in 1960.

He played the trombone in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1960, he joined the famous Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He was the youngest member at the time. After two years, he started playing with jazz groups. These included the Gerry Mulligan Big Band and the Radio City Music Hall orchestra.

From 1968 to 1971, Motzing traveled the world. He worked as a sound designer for the jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears. In 1971, he visited Australia with the band. He liked it so much that he moved there in 1972. He started teaching jazz at the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music. He also taught at the Australian Film and Television School.

Creating Music for Stars

In the 1970s and 1980s, William Motzing helped create many hit songs in Australia. He arranged music for famous artists. This meant he wrote the parts for instruments like strings and horns.

Some of his famous works include:

• Peter Allen's "I Still Call Australia Home". This song was added to the Sounds of Australia registry in 2013.
• Billy Field's "Bad Habits". This album was the biggest seller in Australia in 1981.
• Sherbet's "Howzat". This song reached the top 5 in the UK charts.
• Songs for INXS, Jon English, Air Supply, and Billy Thorpe.

In 2008, he also arranged a song for Leo Sayer.

Composing for Films and TV

William Motzing wrote music for over 30 Australian movies and TV shows. His film scores helped tell the story and set the mood.

Some of his well-known film scores include:

• Newsfront (1978): This movie was shown at big film festivals.
• Young Einstein (1988): He won awards for his music in this film. He received the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award and the APRA Music Award.
• The Return of Captain Invincible (1983): This movie starred Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee.
• The Quiet American (2002).

He was nominated for five AFI awards for his amazing work.

For television, he composed music for popular shows like:

• Prisoner (1979)
• Mother and Son (1984)
• Vietnam (1987)
• Brides of Christ (1991)

He also worked as an orchestrator for shows like The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. As a musical director, he worked on TV shows such as Parkinson and The Garry McDonald Show.

Classical Music and Teaching

William Motzing also conducted major symphony orchestras. He led the Australian Chamber Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He performed at the Sydney Opera House.

In Europe, he conducted the BBC Radio Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic. He also led the Budapest Opera orchestra. He kept studying conducting and composition throughout his life.

He was a big supporter of the Schillinger System, a way of understanding music. Some of his students became famous musicians and composers themselves.

Later Life and Legacy

William Motzing taught at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music for many years. He taught subjects like music theory, arranging, and jazz history. He retired from teaching in 2011.

In 2008, he was wrongly diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Later, in 2013, doctors found he had a rare disease called Shy–Drager syndrome (SDS). This disease affects many body organs and has no cure.

After retiring, he moved back to New York to be with his son's family. He bravely fought the symptoms of SDS, which included paralysis. William Motzing passed away peacefully on January 30, 2014, from complications of the disease. His music and teaching left a lasting impact on the world of film, pop, and classical music.