It was many decades later that, shortly after launching my podcast, on a whim I reached out to this stranger whose work inspired me and whose music I used as a morning alarm on my phone to be a guest on The Palmer Files.
To my surprise, he said yes. I mean it when I say I get nervous before every show whether I have known the person for decades or have never spoken to them before. To this day, however, Andrew’s impending appearance had me more nervous than most.
I shouldn’t have worried at all, though. He was so open and friendly. We talked about his score for Wizards and about how he got into music and show business. The thing about that conversation, thinking back on it now years later, is that for as nervous as I was going in, he somehow put me at ease by just being himself.
In the intervening years, I sent him messages for the holidays or just to reach out, and he always took the time to respond with overwhelming positivity.
That in a nutshell, beyond his score for Wizards, and the many other songs and scores he created, was Andrew Belling. He was a beacon of positive energy for anyone who knew him, even as casually as a podcast host who recorded with him for just under two hours.
There was so much more to him than what could be covered in our one meeting and short conversation. When I learned of his passing, I just felt that I should write something small and take this opportunity to share again my conversation with Andrew Belling, who will be missed but will certainly never be forgotten.
May his memory be a blessing.