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| by Sam Vlas |
I think I speak for
many of you, dear readers, when I say that the songs of Disney are a great, big,
beautiful part of the soundtrack of our childhood. Like smells, music is
capable of letting memories resurface almost instantly. I often wondered what
it is about the songs of Disney that captivates literally billions of people
around the world. Continue after the page break and follow the leader in this
musical mystery…
Music is an integral
part of many people’s lives. It can make you feel happy or sad, scared or
comfortable, or heroic and powerful. It conveys many emotions and we just simply
can’t live without it. Disney has perfected the art of storytelling through
music; from its very beginnings in “Steamboat Willie” all the way through the
latest hit “Frozen”. But why? Why do we all love this music so much? What is
that determining factor?
Over the years Disney
has had some amazing songwriters, composers and dramatists who understood the
art of music very well. The first real Disney songwriters were people like
Frank Churchill, Oliver Wallace, Ned Washington and Paul Smith. Then came
Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman in the 1950’s through the 1970’s,
making up a significant part of the Disney Songbook. The 1980’s and 1990’s was
the era of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, Randy Newman, Elton John and Tim Rice
and Phil Collins, and lately we have seen the addition of the Robert Lopez and
Kristen Anderson-Lopez to the Disney music legacy. And even in the Disney theme
parks we have seen great composers like George Bruns, Buddy Baker and X.
Atencio.
We all have our
favorite songs and chances are very likely that they came from one of these
people; songs that found their way into our own lives. Songs that we can sing,
or whistle, or hum, at almost every moment of the day. For every emotion or
every challenge there is, exists a Disney song. I even dare to say that most of
your music devices have one or (way) more Disney songs on it.
“Let It Go” is a great
example of a recent song that exploded on the internet. The message of the song
(don’t hide yourself) resonates with a lot of people. People who feel they have
to put on a show for their peers, or family, feeling that they won’t be
accepted if they were themselves. I have dealt with this problem when I was in
high school; I couldn’t tell anyone that I was a Disney fan, they would find me
weird or strange and they wouldn’t want to hang out with me. As strange as it
sounds, nowadays I don’t have to worry about that anymore. But in those days
they were a few things that would cheer me up… and one of those things were Disney
songs. They gave me hope, let me laugh and let all those negative emotions go for a
second. It felt great and reassured me things were going to get better. I don’t
know if this article is becoming too personal, but that’s my way of
illustrating what these songs have meant to me and probably will mean for many
people in the future.
I’d like to know what your favorite Disney
song is? Elaborate in the comments!
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We are still looking for a couple more writers to join Disney Avenue. If you are also passionate about Disney and the theme parks and have an interest in sharing your thoughts then Disney Avenue would love to have you join our team. You can contact us at disneyavenue316@yahoo.com. Don't forget to like us on Facebook.
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