Music Behind the Magic

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