PODCAST · music
Music Behind the Magic
by 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
Episodes
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The History and Impact of Disney Music with Jon Burlingame
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...
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The Skywalker Symphonies: John Williams and the Music of Star Wars with Frank Lehman
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...
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The Jungle Cruise: History, Jokes, and Music with Tim Foster
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…
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D23 Recap and Trip Report: Music, Movies, Magic, and More
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...
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The Best of Star Wars Music with Tim Foster
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...
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Noah Sunday-Lefkowitz and the Emotional Power of Disney Medleys
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…
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Mark Mancina and the Music of Moana
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...
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Legendary Composer Bruce Broughton Returns to Discuss Soarin' Across America
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...
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The Magic of Live Disney Musical Entertainment with Michael Mastroianni
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…
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A Conversation with Pixar Creative Veteran James Ford Murphy and the Music of "Lava"
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...
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Haim Mazar and the Music of Disney's Versa
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...
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Composer Tyler Koontz and Creating Disney Parks Music Around the World
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...
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The Top 10 Pixar Songs with Tim Foster
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...
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The Psychology of Disney Music with John Powell
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...
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A Conversation with Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award Winner Marc Shaiman
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...
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Disney Preview 2026: Music in the Movies, TV Shows, and the Parks
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...
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A Conversation with Simon Franglen, Composer of Avatar: Fire and Ash
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...
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Tim Foster, "Spaceship Earth: The Definitive History," AND Disney Holiday Music!
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...
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J.B. Kaufman and "Worlds to Conquer: The Art and Making of Walt Disney's Fantasia"
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...
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Celebrating Disney Legends with Jamie Hecker
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...
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Todd James Pierce and Making Mary Poppins
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…
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A Conversation with John Musker: Movies and Music from the Disney Renaissance to the Revival
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…
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Zain Effendi and the Music of Test Track
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…
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Musician, Composer, and Producer Tim Heintz and Creating Disney's Nighttime Spectaculars
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...
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Composer, Arranger, and Orchestrator Dave Metzger and His Work on Iconic Disney Music
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...
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Disney Music Festival Recap and Review
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…
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Composer and Conductor Mark Watters and Bringing Disney Music to Life
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.…
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Disney Creative Veteran Dave Bossert and the Tunes Behind the Toons Documentary
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...
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Tim Foster and "it's a small world: The Definitive History"
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…
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Shaun Jex Discusses the World of Disney Video Games AND Remembers the Mighty Halyx!!
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...
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Composer Dan Romer and the Music of Lilo & Stitch
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...
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Brett Nachman of Notably Disney and Disney End Credit Songs: Better or Worse Than the Original?
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...
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Dr. Carissa Baker and the Academic Pursuit of Theme Park Music
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...
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Ron Fish and Composing Music for Theme Parks and Video Games
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...
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Jeff Sherman and the Legacy of the Sherman Brothers
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...
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Tim Greiving and the Music of John Williams
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...
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Lou Mongello and Finding Your Disney Path
Disney inspires us--to dream, to believe, to dare, to do...and to create. We are joined today by one of the original Disney podcasters and content creators, Lou Mongello of WDW Radio, who inspired me to start this very podcast. Lou shares his incredible Disney journey from New Jersey attorney to...
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Stephen Anderson, Director of "Meet the Robinsons" and Author of "Disney In-Between: The Lost Years 1966-1986"
There are so many different eras of Disney history--The Golden Age, The Silver Age, and the Renaissance. But what about the periods of transition that ushered in those new eras? We are joined by Steve Anderson, the director of the Disney animated classics "Meet the Robinsons" and "Winnie the…
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Composer Haim Mazar Discusses His Work From the Movies to the Disney Parks Worldwide
We love Disney music because it is capable of producing so many emotions—happiness, wonder, fear, and laughter--whether it is in a movie, on an attraction, or during a nighttime spectacular. And while it is so much fun to discuss and debate our favorite songs and themes at the “fan” level, it is...
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Disney Music Theory with Tim Foster
We love Disney music because it is capable of producing so many different emotions. And on the surface, it is great to just sit back and let the music make you feel. But, the amazing songwriters who craft these songs utilize different elements of music theory to pull those emotional strings. In...
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Walt Disney World Trip Report and Disney Music News
After returning from a week in Walt Disney World, I wanted to provide a trip report to give some insight into Disney After Hours, a surprise at the Disney on Broadway Concert Series at EPCOT, and a few restaurant reviews (including The "controversial" Cake Bake Shop). And, there is a LOT of…
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Valentine's Day Special: Listeners' Favorite Disney Love Songs
We all know that Disney music has incredible emotional power. It can make us laugh, it can make us cry, it can make us scared and nervous, and it can make us excited. But, no matter what the emotion, it makes us feel. And that is a beautiful thing. One of the wonderful things about Disney movies…
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Bob Weis and "Dream Chasing: My Four Decades of Success and Failure with Walt Disney Imagineering"
Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative force that imagines, designs and brings to life all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions and cruise ships worldwide through creativity, technology, and pixie dust. We are privileged to be joined today by Bob Weis, who was an Imagineer for over 40 years...
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"A Definitive Ranking of Every Disney Song, Ever" with Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence
Few things inflame the passions of fans more than a ranked list, particularly when it comes to Disney. We are joined today by Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence, who published "A Definitive Ranking of Every Disney Song, Ever," which covers 317 songs across Disney's animated canon. I invite you to...
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Disney Historian Ross Care and the Music of The Golden Era
As we celebrate the New Year, this week we go back to the very beginning of Disney's feature films. Music was a critical part of the foundation that brought Disney success during it's first few groundbreaking films, known as the company's "Golden Era." To discuss the music and composers that…
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Shawn Degenhart and the Musical Score for Cinderella; Mufasa Soundtrack and The Disney Music Festival
With the 75th Anniversary of the Walt Disney classic Cinderella approaching, we are joined by Shawn Degenhart, who has published--for the first time--the complete musical score of that movie. We learn about that project as well as his other Disney musical pursuits. We also explore the soundtrack…
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Tim Foster from Celebrations Press and Disney Holiday Musical Memories
It's the Holiday season, which is magical in so many different ways, no matter which holiday you celebrate. And what is more central to the holidays than music? Whether its traditional Christmas Carols, holiday standards, or more modern songs, music is the foundation and backdrop for the emotions...
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Greg Ehrbar and the History of Disney and Hanna Barbera Records; Moana 2 Soundtrack Release
The history behind how Disney started its own record label and music business is often overlooked, but fascinating. We are joined today by Greg Ehrbar, author of Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records to discuss that history. Greg is also an expert on Hanna Barbera, and just released a…
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Bambi Moe and "Part of the Magic"; Music for Disney Television Animation
We are joined by former VP of Music for Disney Television Animation Bambi Moe, who discusses her new book "Part of the Magic: A Collection of Disney-Inspired Brushes with Greatness." Bambi shares her amazing story, her strong lifetime ties to Disney, and her experience producing music for many...
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Halloween Special--Listeners' Favorite Spooky Disney Songs
In this special Halloween episode, I reveal YOUR favorite Halloween/Spooky songs, as gathered from our social accounts. Which songs are most associated with the holiday, and what are some honorable mentions? Grab some full-size candy bars (none of that bite-sized trick-or-treating nonsense) and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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
HOSTED BY
Jonathan Goodman
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Music Behind the Magic have?
Music Behind the Magic currently has 63 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Music Behind the Magic about?
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,...
How often does Music Behind the Magic release new episodes?
Music Behind the Magic has 63 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Music Behind the Magic?
You can listen to Music Behind the Magic on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Music Behind the Magic?
Music Behind the Magic is created and hosted by Jonathan Goodman.
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