My life, like yours and like everyone’s, comes with a history. Every family tree is full of people and stories—some we remember and cherish, some we know very little about, and some we might just as soon forget. And just as the highest branches of a tree draw nourishment from the deepest roots, we each are a product—to some extent—of those who went before us. But the great thing is that no matter our past, we can build a bright future with hard work and optimism. That’s one of the lessons from my family’s story.
My name, Oscar Hammerstein, conjures images of my well-known ancestors and their impact on American culture and musical theater. My grandfather Oscar Hammerstein II was the lyricist and playwright for many beloved musicals that remain the gold standard by which present-day musicals are judged. His stories resonate in our hearts because they are universal yet extraordinary. Each person’s story is remarkable, unusual, and common—all at the same time. In a way, my grandfather’s stories are everyone’s stories. And that’s why we love them as much today as we did when Grandfather wrote them decades ago.
All my life I’ve been told that my grandfather was a genius, but he always denied it. Instead, he credited his success to two things: he worked hard, and he made tons of mistakes. In his mind, there was nothing magic about it—it was more a matter of perspiration than inspiration.
The other lesson from Grandfather’s life is a little less obvious. Even though he’s known today for his many successes, he learned much more from his failures. Rousing applause tends to drown out the lessons you need to hear. But a flop often leaves you alone with your thoughts, and you learn valuable lessons the hard way. He used to tell his sons on the tennis court, “Don’t think about the last ball. Think about the next ball.” That kind of optimism sprang from his belief in the power of storytelling and in his tireless resolve to keep trying.
Grandfather’s life story, like his name, lives on in my life as I live by the lessons he learned and taught. And the same can be true for all of us. With our stories and with our families, with hard work and optimism, as Grandfather wrote, we can climb every mountain and follow every rainbow.
Written by Lloyd D. Newell
Given by Oscar Andrew Hammerstein
February 12, 2017
Broadcast Number 4,561
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductors
Mack Wilberg
Ryan Murphy
Soloist
Dallyn Vail Bayles
Organist
Andrew Unsworth
Host
Lloyd Newell
Special Guest
Oscar Hammerstein III
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’, from Oklahoma!
Rodgers & Hammerstein; arr. Arthur Harris
The Sound of Music, from The Sound of Music
Rodgers & Hammerstein; arr. Arthur Harris
My Favorite Things, from The Sound of Music
Rodgers & Hammerstein; arr. Arthur Harris
If I Loved You, from Carousel
Rodgers & Hammerstein; arr. Arthur Harris
Edelweiss, from The Sound of Music
Richard Rodgers, arr. Andrew Unsworth
You’ll Never Walk Alone, from Carousel
Rodgers & Hammerstein; arr. Arthur Harris
It’s a Grand Night for Singing, from State Fair
Rodgers & Hammerstein; arr. Arthur Harris
Climb Ev’ry Mountain, from The Sound of Music
Rodgers & Hammerstein; arr. Arthur Harris