Why “When You Wish Upon A Star” holds so many personal emotions
What a beautiful song! Filled with so many memories! A special gift to so many people! I’m so profoundly happy that I can offer When You Wish Upon a Star in my music catalog.
This story takes me back to my childhood in grade school and is a many-faceted jewel of a story.
Once a year we would have a large school play and I vividly remember the year that the subject of the play was to be about the Walt Disney story and cartoon of Pinocchio.
I was asked to play the part of Geppetto, being the violinist in the elementary school. This would be a new experience for me, as I would be involved in costumes (including a white haired wig that always kept coming off!), learning a script, movements while speaking, as well as the violin performance.
Prior to the rehearsals for this wonderful opportunity, I was diagnosed with a very serious illness. It was necessary that I be kept in the hospital for close observation. This lasted for over 1 month and was a horrifying experience.
I was placed in a special ward with terminally sick children, and was tested every day for my condition, which had no cure at that time.
Seeing my friends leave, knowing that they were going home with their families, never to be seen again, was more that I could take and understand. I was told that many of them had only days to live.
I kept thinking about the school play and the beautiful song When You Wish Upon A Star. I wanted so very much to have this new acting experience and not wither away into my next journey. No way was I ready for that, so I looked for the answers inside myself and gradually reversed my condition.
Even when hearing the song in my imagination, I could feel the inner energy of this caressing melody moving the molecules in my body.
I was finally released from the hospital, going home to be with my parents and continue my recovery on my own.
The miracle was such a gift that in a few months I was given a clean bill of health. I have to thank everyone that helped me along the way, especially Jiminy Cricket and Walt Disney for their gift of life through Joy, Love and Music.
I was able to return to school and be a part of this wonderful school play, and enjoy every moment of this experience and my return to health and life.
Much Later:
When LiSem Enterprises, Inc was created, it was to bring me close to a lifelong dream of creating a CD around my good luck charm, the music of “When You Wish Upon A Star”. As our music catalog increased with new titles, an executive decision was made to create a series of children’s albums, and When You Wish Upon A Star would be the beginning of this series.
This was the moment that I was waiting for, and all of the work began. Licenses for music usage were acquired and rights to the title of the album When You Wish Upon a Star were finally acquired, enabling us to move forward with the arrangements.
This was also the featured song, and to make it very special we invited our friend David Grisman, the famous mandolin player, to add his magical touches to our arrangement. This has made the arrangement very magical, and his contribution was so the perfect touch to all that we were looking for in the musical score.
The album features other beautiful melodies of Bach, Mozart, and a variety of other folklore melodies. My dream came true! When You Wish Upon a Star was finally born and presented to the world.
I am very proud to say that it is one of the most powerful albums we have ever created. I have been told by many that have listed that it has put many a child to sleep, and is a favorite gift from grandparents to their grandchildren.
A memorable moment years later:
One morning before a symphony orchestra rehearsal my colleague and friend of many years, Raymond Kobler, Concertmaster of the San Francisco Symphony, called me to his dressing room and asked me to listen to a tape that just arrived in the mail.
The music started playing on a small, tinny cassette player. As we were listening to Jiminy Cricket singing When You Wish Upon A Star, tears came to our eyes.
We both started to sing along, and then broke out into laughter. I could feel all of the memories that this magnificent song had represented in my life, and felt a great sense of gratitude that I was still around to share yet another moment, and the great melody, with my friend and colleague.
This album of children’s lullabies was inspired by that famous melody. It was a dream that came true for me when I wished upon a star, and now it can give the same message to all of our children, and their children.
I am so grateful to be here and share all of these moments with all of you.
With my warmest Love and Blessings.
Daniel