E.J. and Bill are pleased to get to show another William S. Hart classic, and even more thrilled to meet the fellow that composed music for the film, and performed it at 2018’s Friends of Hart Park event “Silents Under the Stars”. For those who have been to Silents, you know who we’re talking about: an amazing talent and amazingly nice guy, Mr. Ray Lowe!

Ray is an amateur musician who has been composing and performing soundtracks for the Friends of Hart Park’s annual gala for more than a dozen years. Residing in the San Fernando Valley, Ray and his recently retired wife Ann are bonded to Santa Clarita through her 23 years as a nursing professor at College of the Canyons. Ray first experienced FOHP’s Silents Under The Stars annual gala as a member of the audience, the year that his college-age daughter was the Hart Park summer intern.

Trained as a music teacher, Ray never pursued music as a vocation. Instead, he employs his musical talents and passion as a volunteer in a variety of settings, including serving on the board of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

In the interview, Ray explains the connection between his artistic persona and his profession as a commercial real estate lender. Ray tells how he creates the music for the films, and how the live performance is partly composed, but mostly improvised on the spot. To demonstrate, E.J. asks Ray to do some improvisation-on-demand.