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 create a stunning connection. Today, we are joined by one of those musicians, Michael Mastroianni, who you have likely seen at EPCOT, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review, or at the River Roost Lounge. Michael talks about his musical background and his experience creating live musical magic at Walt Disney World and on the Disney Cruise Line.

Please follow Michael at www.mastromjm.com and on all socials @mastromjm.

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, what is it about Pixar that allows it to continually produce such unique and compelling stories?

Today, continuing with our Pixar celebration, we are very fortunate to be joined by James Ford Murphy, who has been with Pixar for 30 of the company’s 40 years of existence, working as an animator and a director. He is also the creator, director, and composer of the Pixar short film “Lava,” which is one of my votes for the Top 10 Pixar songs of all time. Jim joins us to discuss his career, his work at Pixar, the Pixar culture, and of course, the story behind one of our favorite Pixar songs.

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, and healing--without any dialogue at all? In the short film Versa (which is now streaming on Disney+), Director Malcon Pierce shares his extremely personal voyage through the story of a young couple looking to start a family that experiences that gamut of emotions as they embark on an ethereal and imaginative cosmic dance of life. In the short, because there is no dialogue, music is the guiding force, along with breathtaking animation, that creates a truly exceptional visual and auditory experience. And the composer of the music for Versa is our friend Haim Mazar, who returns to the podcast to discuss his work on Versa, as well as some other amazing Disney park projects that he has contributed to since he last joined us.

You can follow Haim at HaimMazar.com and on Instagram @haimmazarmusic. You can watch Versa on Disney+ and listen to the soundtrack on your favorite streaming service. And Scary Movie 6 opens on June 5th.

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 the music just makes you want to move. Today we are joined by Tyler Koontz, an extremely talented composer who has created some of that music for those incredible shows around the world—from Disneyland Paris to Tokyo DisneySea. In fact, he has written the theme song for Tokyo DisneySea 25th Sparkling Jubilee, called “Come Join the Jubilee.” Tyler talks about his musical journey and how he has created the type of music that makes us feel all those emotions in the Parks.

Check out Tyler at tylerkoontzmusic.com and on Instagram @trkstudios. And stream "Come Join the Jubilee" on all music platforms.

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 better to do that with than our pal Tim Foster for Celebrations Press, who shares my love—and emotional fragility—for Pixar movies and songs. So, in keeping with Tim’s patented Top 10 list format, we present to you our Top 10 Pixar songs.

Please check out Tim, Celebrations Magazine, and incredible keepsake books at celebrationspress.com

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: https://youtu.be/N-7ohzLQKg4?si=psJFdruumcQnHcpD

Please follow us on IG @musicbehindthemagic, join of FB group at facebook.com/groups/musicbehindthemagic, or on YouTube at @musicbehindthemagic.

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 follow Marc at marcshaiman.com and on Instagram @marc_shaiman.

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.

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 universe. But it isn’t just the visuals that make the story so compelling, it is the incredible use of music and themes that really draw the audience into the story. And today we are so lucky to be joined by the composer of the newest Avatar film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Simon Franglen. Simon talks about the work that went behind making an epic 3 hour score, which included a deep collaboration with James Cameron, that intricate emotional theming, and even the need to create completely new musical instruments. You can listen to Simon’s amazing soundtrack to Avatar: Fire and Ash now on all streaming services, and the film comes out this Friday, December 19th.

You can follow Simon at simonfranglen.com and on Instagram @simonfranglen

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! Fortunately, our pal Tim Foster of Celebrations Press has done just that—another terrific book called Spaceship Earth: The Definitive History. Tim tells us all about awesome facts about the ride and his favorite parts, as well as some fun discussions/debates around changes to the attraction over the years. And since it’s the holidays, we also dive into a fun musical scavenger hunt to find our favorite holiday songs in the parks, as well as our favorite Disney holiday songs in general.

You can find Tim, all his great books, and Celebrations magazine at celebrationspress.com. And if you are trying to get the Spaceship Earth book in time for the holidays, email him at [email protected] and he will do everything he can to make that happen.