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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

00:43:56

Composer Tyler Koontz and Creating Disney Parks Music...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2026/04/11

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 nostalgia, the lump in the throat as you reflect on your own Disney memories, and the huge smile when

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02:19:59

The Top 10 Pixar Songs with Tim Foster

Music Behind the Magic ·

2026/03/15

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 impact. So, what better way to celebrate Pixar’s 40th than with a discussion of the best Pixar music? And who

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00:50:31

The Psychology of Disney Music with John Powell

Music Behind the Magic ·

2026/02/23

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 check out the classical guitar piece he wrote, performed by Alexandra Whittingham on YouTube:

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00:50:47

A Conversation with Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2026/01/26

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 his work for us.You can buy Never Mind the Happy on Amazon and bookstores nationwide. You can also

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00:42:22

Disney Preview 2026: Music in the Movies, TV Shows,...

Music Behind the Magic ·

2026/01/12

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--reach out to me via email, on IG @musicbehindthemagic, or in our awesome FB community.

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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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53 results

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