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 television) music helps navigate and guide the audience journey, and there is a long and incredible history of music in both film and TV.

With that, we are joined today by Jon Burlingame, the leading authority on the subject of movies for film and television. I saw Jon at D23, where he moderated an amazing discussion called “The Art of the Score” with Michael Giacchino, who as most listeners of this podcast will know, is one of my favorite composers. And Jon was gracious enough to join us and share his knowledge and expertise about the history and impact of Disney music across the years. It was a wonderful conversation, and I could have spoken to him for several more hours, so I am sure you will enjoy it.

Please follow Jon at jonburlingame.com and find his latest book "Music for Primetime" as well his other works on Amazon or at your favorite book store.

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: John Williams and the Music of Star Wars.

You can order Frank's book on Amazon, at Oxford University Press, or at your favorite bookseller. And you can find Frank at www.franklehman.com

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 is a brand new book out detailing the attraction’s history, called Jungle Cruise: The Definitive History, and it is written by none other than our very good friend Tim Foster from Celebrations Press. Tim joins us to talk about the attraction, it’s history and hidden gems, the jokes, and of course, the music.

You can order the book, any of his other wonderful books, or subscribe to Celebrations Disney magazine and celebrationspress.com.

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 if you took San Diego Comicon, an Awards telecast, an entertainment industry convention, and the world's largest shopping mall--put them in a blender and sprinkled a vat of pixie dust on it, and you would have D23.

I attended my first ever D23 last week, and it was a true experience that I will never forget. WIth that, I wanted to give you a trip report about what I saw, what I liked, what I didn’t exactly like, and some of the awesome panels, presentations, and shows that I got to see, with a special emphasis on Disney music.

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 favorite franchise from a musical perspective. Because SO much of Star Wars is tied to music, almost all of which was written by the legendary maestro John Williams. George Lucas himself said “John Williams’ music is what truly brought the Star Wars universe to life. He gave it its soul.” Tom Hanks said “John’s music is part of the fabric of American culture. It’s a soundtrack to our lives.” And when Steven Spielberg talked about John Williams’ legacy across all the films he scored, he said “Without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes,” “There is no Force, dinosaurs do not walk the Earth, we do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe.”

And who better to have this discussion with that our pal Tim Foster from Celebrations Press. You can find Tim, and his new book "Jungle Cruise: The Definitive History" at celebrationspress.com.

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 has built a substantial online and in-person following by writing clever and innovative hyper-niche medleys of Disney songs, and original songs about the movies, TV shows, and park attractions as well. We talk about Noah’s background, his career at Disney, and his calling as a writer/performer.

Please check out Noah's incredible work at https://www.noahsundaylefkowitz.com/, and on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok @noahsundaylefkowitz

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 complexity of the characters, the incredible animation, the star power of Dwayne Johnson, and, of course…the music. With songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina (who also wrote the score), the music transported audiences to the South Pacific with a focus on authenticity and storytelling. Today, we are thrilled to be joined by Mark Mancina to discuss his work on both the animated film as well as the upcoming live action release, as well as his career collaborations with not only Lin Manuel-Miranda, but Phil Collins, Elton John, and…Eddie Van Halen.

Moana comes out on July 10th, and the soundtrack is available for purchase and streaming on June 26th

You can find Mark at www.mark-mancina.com, on Instagram @markamancina, and on YouTube @markmancinamusic.

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 is creating a lot of…dialogue amongst the Disney interwebs. But another, very significant update is now open. I’m talking about the new Soarin’ Across America, an update to the classic ride to celebrate America’s 250th Birthday (or in technical terms, our semi quincentennial). The ride, which now features scenes from across America’s most iconic sights and landmarks, has a newly updated score by legendary composer Bruce Broughton. Bruce rejoins the podcast to discuss his work on the project, as well as other Disney and non-Disney music he has been working on.

You can check out all of Bruce's amazing work at www.brucebroughton.com