Music Behind the Magic

The use of music in Disney movies has evolved over the years. While always present, its use as a narrative device and emotional touchstone has shifted from the background to the forefront, depending on what “Disney era” (Golden Era, Silver Era, Bronze Era, Renaissance, or Revival) the movie was made. Of course, while Disney has a particularly strong emotional connection to us, the best film (and t...

Over the course of the 9 episode Skywalker Saga, John Williams created a comprehensive, wide ranging symphonic masterpiece, brilliantly conceived and meticulously constructed. To do a deeper dive around the musical (and psychological) elements of those scores, we are joined by Frank Lehman, a professor of Music at Tufts University who has just released his latest book The Skywalker Symphonies: Joh...

The Jungle Cruise is one of Disney fans’ most beloved attractions. And while many people love the theming, the mechanical animals, and the scenery, the jokes and puns are usually what keeps us coming back for more. But this ride has a long and storied history, starting with its debut as an opening day attraction at Disneyland in 1955 and at Walt Disney World in 1971. It just so happens that there...

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is Disney’s largest fan convention, bringing together fans from around the world for major announcements, immersive exhibits, exclusive merchandise, special performances, and more. Taking place August 14 – 16, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center and nearby Honda Center, D23 2026 is the ultimate destination for Disney fandom. What does that mean? It means that...

With the recent release of The Mandalorian and Grogu marking the return of Star Wars to the movie theaters for the first time in 7 years (after 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker), the recent conclusion of the Maul: Shadow Lord animated series, and with the 50th Anniversary of the release of Star Wars (or Episode IV, or A New Hope) coming next year, I figure it’s a great time to take a look at our favor...

It’s one thing to love Disney songs. It’s another to be able to play Disney songs. But it’s a whole other level to write and perform original music about Disney songs, drawing upon the fandom’s collective passion for history and nostalgia and providing a musical outlet for those emotions. Today we are joined by an incredibly talented singer, musician, and voice actor, Noah Sunday-Lefkowitz, who ha...

It’s a big summer for Disney in the movie theaters. The Mandalorian and Grogu is the first Star Wars movie in 7 years, Toy Story 5 is out and is already breaking records, and the live-action reimagining of Moana is coming out on July 10th, just in time to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the animated film’s original release. The movie has become an instant classic due to the depth and complexit...

If you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed that there is a LOT going on around the Disney parks. There are re-imaginings and updates to existing rides, and lots of news coming out about upcoming rides as well. This year, we’ve already seen the re-opening of the newly redesigned Rock n Roller Coaster starring the Muppets and news of a significant overhaul of Carousel of Progress, which i...

On the podcast, we talk a lot about the emotional power that Disney music is able to convey, and most of the time, we experience that power passively—on a screen or through our headphones. But the real magic of Disney music happens when you are able to experience it live, and throughout the Disney parks there are exceptional musicians who play that music directly—and unfiltered—to the guests and c...

This year commemorates the 40th anniversary of Pixar. Pixar was officially founded as an independent company on February 3, 1986, when Steve Jobs purchased the Computer Graphics Division from Lucasfilm. Since that time, Pixar has gone on revolutionize the industry, creating technologically groundbreaking and emotionally resonant masterpieces, including 20 short films and 30 feature films. But, wha...

The amazing thing about Disney movies is how they are able to make us feel so many emotions through the use of unparalleled storytelling. With some clever or poignant dialogue, incredible voice acting and music in the background, we can feel joy, wonder, or even sadness. But what happens when someone wants to convey some of the most complex and personal of emotions—love, loss, grieving, acceptance...

When we visit the Disney parks, there is always music around to guide us. There is the background music in each land that sets the theme, and the attraction music that helps narrate the story of the ride. But the music in the parades, shows, and nighttime entertainment spectaculars is there to do more than guide you—it is there to make you feel . To give you that beautifully bittersweet feeling of...

With all of the Disney news that has come out in the past few months, it might have gone a bit under the radar that Pixar recently celebrated its 40th anniversary as a company. And Pixar in particular has established an incredible musical legacy, not in the traditional “Disney Musical” sense, but by using compositions and songs to drive the narrative of its films and maximize their emotional impac...

We all know how Disney music makes us feel, but there is another, underlying question—why does it make us feel this way? Today we are joined by John Powell, who has written two books on the psychology of music, to help us understand the power of music and musical techniques that create such powerful emotional and physical responses in us. You can find John's books on Amazon here and here. And chec...

As we celebrate the 50th episode of the podcast, what better way to celebrate than with an incredible, legendary guest. Marc Shaiman, who has composed music for everything from Hairspray to City Slickers and from South Park to Mary Poppins Returns, has just published his memoir: Never Mind the Happy: Showbiz Stories from a Sore Winner, and he shares so many amazing stories, and even plays some of...

Happy New Year! 2026 is shaping up to be a very eventful year for Disney, with lots of huge movies, new and returning TV shows, and theme park updates. Join me as I preview all these incredible upcoming releases, and the music behind all of them. What are you most excited about? Please like and follow this podcast, and leave a good review if you think I deserve it. I would love to hear from you--r...

The Avatar films have changed the way we experience the movies. They have been groundbreaking in almost every way--technologically, narratively, and sonically—not only transporting us to a new world, but making it so immersive that we are actually a part of it. But it is not only immersive--the world of Pandora has been created and rooted in so much detail and mythology that, paired with all the i...

Of all the iconic attractions at the Disney parks around the world, one of—if not the—most recognizable is Spaceship Earth at Epcot. A marvel of both engineering and imagineering, the attraction takes us on a voyage of mankind’s technological innovations across the centuries, with so many iconic moments and smells (if you know, you know). There are so many details associated with the attraction ar...

When you think of all the iconic imagery associated with Disney, lots of things immediately come to mind—Cinderella Castle, Tinkerbell, Spaceship Earth…and Mickey’s Sorcerer’s hat from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. That legendary vignette is the most famous part of Fantasia, the groundbreaking film that married music and animation in ways that were so far ahead of its time conceptually, musically, an...

Baseball has its Hall of Fame. So does Rock and Roll music. Hollywood has a Walk of Fame, and there are numerous other Halls, Walls, and Walks that recognize contributions to everything from sports and entertainment to business and science. So, how does Disney celebrate those who have made groundbreaking contributions to the company? It’s through the recognition of Disney Legends. Disney Legends i...

One of the most beloved and cherished Disney movies is the classic Mary Poppins. It has amazed and delighted audiences for 61 years through its technical innovation, incredible set pieces, and of course, its iconic music by the legendary Sherman Brothers. Almost all of us love the movie and many of us know at least some of the background of the film through the movie Saving Mr. Banks, which shed s...

Disney, as we know it today, was shaped by the success and legacy of The Little Mermaid, which ushered in the Disney Renaissance, marrying Broadway musical sensibilities with character driven stories that emotionally bonded the audience to the movies through now-iconic songs. Today we are joined by the co-writer and director of the Little Mermaid, John Musker, who also wrote and directed so many o...

One of the most popular attractions in Walt Disney World is Test Track in EPCOT. It has just reopened after a lengthy reimagining with a new storyline, and new music. Today we are very lucky to be joined by the extremely talented Zain Effendi, who composed all the music for the new version of that attraction. Zain is also no stranger to working for the Disney parks, as he also composed music for t...

For many of us, there is nothing quite like experiencing a Disney nighttime parade or fireworks spectacular at the parks. The magic, the wonder, and the emotions that those shows evoke are near and dear to our hearts, and are the basis for so many incredible memories. And, of course, one of the main drivers of those emotional moments is the music that guides and elevates the story. And because the...

When you think about the music that we hear in Disney films, it’s easy to say, Oh, Alan Menken wrote that song, or Hanz Zimmer composed that score. And of course, those legendary songwriters and composers are responsible for crafting the melody, vision, and structure of the amazing music we know and love. But, beyond that, within film music there are musicians that work with those composers and so...