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Hi everyone. My 5-year-old daughter found this old music box and loves its tune. I'm trying to identify what it is playing so that I can perhaps learn how to play the entire piece on the piano for her. I decided to try asking here because a lot of music boxes play classical music, but who knows. Any help is appreciated. Here's a video:

https://youtu.be/nAfKqqjEQ2A

Thank you!

The song is "The Way We Were." Here's the original Streisand version from the 1974 film of the same name starring Streisand and Robert Redford. The song was composed in 1973 by Bergman, Bergman and Hamlisch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBPQT2Ia8fU

Regards,

It's "The Way we Were" from the movie of the same name - about 1973. (I think it starred Barbra Streisand)

Cross-posted, Bruce.

You guys are the best! Thank you so much BruceD and currawong!

Streisand and Redford.

Saw it in 1973 when I was 26. Got a kick out of the OP's comment that the tune was played on an "old" music box. If that music box is old, that makes me ancient.

Well, I had no idea (boy am I out of it) ....but I just wanted to say, that's a beautiful little music box! And, how does a 5 year old find such a music box? Or any music box?

That tune is in the Reader's Digest Festival of Popular Songs book in a version that's not particularly difficult to play.

I actually play it fairly regularly myself.

Didn't mean to offend :-) I was born in 1975, so it's older than me and I did not know how old it really was until you guys told me what the music was :-)

She was going through some of her mom's "old" stuff and found it :-)

Oh! That's cool! Thanks! I'll look for that edition of Reader's Digest.

I found an arrangement online, but it doesn't look trivial to play at my current level:

https://www.musiclassroom.com/partitions/thewaywewere.pdf

Hopefully the Reader's Digest one is a bit easier.

Frank, I found a used hard-cover copy for $7.61 on Amazon and just ordered it. :-)

Actually, I have the Readers Digest arrangement - and I wouldn't say it is less difficult than the one you posted - only different. Maybe you can pick the one that resonates with you and simply learn the right hand part. Your daughter is 5 - she'll appreciate anything.

There's a lot of great music in that particular Reader's Digest collection. I use it when I play at receptions, etc.

It's a wonderful book with lots of good stuff in it.

Some of my other favourites in that book are Blueberry Hill, Brother Can You Spare a Dime, Speak Softly Love, Bein' Green, Heartaches by the Number, It's Impossible, Lara's Theme, Misty, Mean To Me, Second Hand Rose, The Summer Knows, Take Me Home Country Roads, Those Were the Days, Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Yesterday, You're the Cream in my Coffee.

I have ten of the Reader's Digest Songbooks and they're all good. If you want to get just the "best ones" (based on my opinion) then in addition to Festival of Popular Songs you should also look at Children's Songbook, Country & Western Songbook, Merry Christmas Songbook and Treasury of Best Loved Songs.

Ten - wow !! You got me beat - I only have three.

Well, it's music that I like and stuff that I can actually play, so...

Sometimes I just don't know when to stop.

I think there's a few more yet that I don't have so if I come across any of them I'll probably add them to the pile too.

Whoa! I'm definitely getting the country music one! I'm a huge fan of Dolly Parton, so if anyone knows of a book with lots of her songs, let me know please!

The only other Reader's Digest book I have is the "Merry Christmas Songbook." It pretty much has all the well-known Christmas songs you can think of (and many others I've never heard of). The arrangements aren't super easy, but I simplify them myself when playing. Super fun.

Might as well go for it. I'm sure you can find them on Amazon.