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PODCAST

Music Behind the Magic

Jonathan Goodman

A podcast celebrating the magic of Disney songs, scores, and soundtracks--from the movies to the parks. Join us in exploring the music of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel with new topics and interviews every week. Let"s create some magical, musical pixie dust! Visit www.musicbehindthemagic.com, Instagram @musicbehindthemagic, and join the Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/groups/musicbehindthemagic

music film history

All Episodes

00:31:15

A Conversation with Simon Franglen, Composer of...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/12/18

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 incredible technology created for the films, it is deeply authentic and as real as any planet in the

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01:31:32

Tim Foster, "Spaceship Earth: The Definitive...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/12/16

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 around its history, construction and storytelling that it could fit in a book. That’s a great idea, right

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01:20:14

J.B. Kaufman and "Worlds to Conquer: The Art and...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/12/08

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, and technically. This year marks the 85th anniversary of Fantasia, and to commemorate the film’s

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01:22:07

Celebrating Disney Legends with Jamie Hecker

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/11/24

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 is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who "[have] made a signi

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01:04:46

Todd James Pierce and Making Mary Poppins

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/11/14

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 some light on how Walt Disney made the film, how the Sherman Brothers wrote the music, and the interplay

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01:34:18

A Conversation with John Musker: Movies and Music...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/10/26

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 other legendary movies including Aladdin, Hercules, The Great Mouse Detective, Treasure Planet, The

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01:02:24

Zain Effendi and the Music of Test Track

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/10/01

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 the Galactic Starcruiser and for Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge. If you haven’t heard the music for Test

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01:04:36

Musician, Composer, and Producer Tim Heintz and...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/09/22

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 end result is so incredible, it’s easy to overlook how much work goes into tailoring and arranging

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01:43:33

Composer, Arranger, and Orchestrator Dave Metzger and...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/09/08

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 songwriters to provide the depth, emotional resonance, and instrumentation that truly bring those songs to

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00:49:15

Disney Music Festival Recap and Review

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/08/24

Recently, I was very fortunate to have been able to experience the Disney Music Festival in Disneyland Paris. It is the first event of its kind, and it did an incredible job of capturing the power and magic that Disney music holds for us. In this special episode, I give a rundown of what the Disney Music Festival was about, what it involved, and my thoughts and impressions. I provide a recap of everything I saw and heard and give a ranking of my favorite performances. Please give it a listen and let

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01:18:02

Composer and Conductor Mark Watters and Bringing...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/08/11

Disney music takes so many different forms—movie music, TV compositions, concerts, video games, live entertainment…and the list goes on. Today we are fortunate to be joined by Mark Watters, a six-time Emmy winning composer and conductor who has experience creating music for all of those genres. And in addition to his musical contributions, he has served as music director for 2 Olympics and has even co-conducted the Academy Awards with none other than the maestro himself, John Williams. Mark will

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01:16:21

Disney Creative Veteran Dave Bossert and the Tunes...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/07/27

We are joined today by Dave Bossert, who had an amazing 32 year career with The Walt Disney Company and worked on many of its most beloved classics, like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Fantasia 2000. He is also responsible for directing and producing Tunes Behind the Toons, an award-winning short film that perfectly captures the impact and importance of music in Disney animated films while speaking with musical luminaries like Alan Menken, Randy Newman, Bruce

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01:35:51

Tim Foster and "it's a small world: The Definitive...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/07/13

If I were to ask you what you think the most iconic attraction is at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, I’m betting that "it’s a small world" will be at, or near, the top of the list. The “Happiest Cruise that ever sailed” has its origins at the 1964 World’s Fair and has been a staple at Disney parks not just in the U.S., but overseas as well at Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneylan. It symbolizes a lot of what we love about Disney—joy, nostalgia, optimism, and wonder. And tying

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01:15:34

Shaun Jex Discusses the World of Disney Video Games...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/06/30

We all know that the Walt Disney Company is a huge and diverse conglomerate, from movies to theme parks to cruise lines to streaming networks and beyond. In between all these offerings, there has also been a fascinating history of Disney video games—from the earliest handheld games of the 80’s to the incredibly immersive 3-D rendered graphics of today. We are joined by author and friend Shaun Jex to discuss his latest book, Dreaming in Digital: The World of Disney Video Games, and explore this

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00:28:55

Composer Dan Romer and the Music of Lilo & Stitch

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/06/18

If you have been keeping up with the summer movie news, you know that the live action remake of Lilo & Stitch has been the runaway hit of the year. Building on the legacy of the much beloved 2002 animated original, the live action version takes everything people loved from that original film and adds new layers of emotional nuance and depth, humor, terrific acting, and a truly, ridiculously adorable CGI Stitch. And those emotional elements are captured and enhanced by the incredible score by

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01:13:46

Brett Nachman of Notably Disney and Disney End Credit...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/06/16

Starting with the Disney Renaissance, Disney decided to take hit songs from its films and add re-recorded versions to the end-credits from a wide array of pop and rock stars. This started with Beauty and the Beast and continues on today. Are any of those versions better than the originals in the film? Well, that is a great and highly subjective topic for discussion, and we attempt to tackle it today with our guest Brett Nachman from the terrific and long-running podcast “Notably Disney,” We talk

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01:35:27

Dr. Carissa Baker and the Academic Pursuit of Theme...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/06/09

Disney is such a complex, multifaceted company that there are all manner of topics and subtopics that fans can joyfully discuss and debate—music, the parks, movies, TV shows, the cruise line, books…you name it. And a lot of that discussion revolves around our own opinions, preferences, and passions. But, Disney is not just a provider of magical memories, it is a cornerstone of American culture and a highly profitable and innovative enterprise. As such, it shouldn’t be surprising that Disney has

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01:03:46

Ron Fish and Composing Music for Theme Parks and...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/05/27

With the news of Disney opening up a theme park in Abu Dhabi, we are very fortunate to be joined in this episode by Ron Fish, an award winning composer who has experience writing music for theme parks at both Walt Disney World in Florida as well as Warner Brothers World in Abu Dhabi. Ron has also written amazing music for huge video game franchises, including God of War 1-3 and Batman: Arkham City and Batman: Arkham Asylum. We have a great conversation about his career progression from theme parks

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01:45:21

Jeff Sherman and the Legacy of the Sherman Brothers

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/05/17

As we celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Disneyland, It’s no wonder that it is called “The Happiest Place on Earth.” And, a lot of that happiness comes from the music that surrounds us when we visit. What songs come to mind when you think of Disneyland? I’m guessing that “It’s a Small World (After All)” and "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room" are high on the list. And those songs of course were written by Robert and Richard Sherman, the legendary Sherman Brothers, who have left such an incredible musical

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01:07:28

Tim Greiving and the Music of John Williams

Music Behind the Magic ·

2025/05/05

Today is May the 4th, and as we celebrate Star Wars Day and all the joy the franchise has brought us, it is also a good time to reflect upon the importance of John Williams and the intense emotional bond he has created between the Skywalker Saga and the audience through his music. However, the Maestro's legacy goes well beyond Star Wars and is responsible for the soundtrack of many of our lives: Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and so many, many more.Tim

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