Music in Disney's Animated Features: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Jungle Book

by James Bohn, Jeff Kurtti (Foreword)

In Music in Disney’s Animated Features James Bohn investigates how music functions in Disney animated films and identifies several vanguard techniques used in them. In addition he also presents a history of music in Disney animated films, as well as biographical information on several of the Walt Disney Studios’ seminal composers.

The popularity and critical acclaim of Disney animated features truly is built as much on music as it is on animation. Beginning with Steamboat Willie and continuing through all of the animated features created under Disney’s personal supervision, music was the organizing element of Disney’s animation. Songs establish character, aid in narrative, and fashion the backbone of the Studios’ movies from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs through The Jungle Book and beyond.

Bohn underscores these points while presenting a detailed history of music in Disney’s animated films. The book includes research done at the Walt Disney Archives as well as materials gathered from numerous other facilities. In his research of the Studios’ notable composers, Bohn includes perspectives from family members, thus lending a personal dimension to his presentation of the magical Studios’ musical history. The volume’s numerous musical examples demonstrate techniques used throughout the Studios’ animated classics.

Genres: Music

505 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 12, 2017

Reviews

[Ravenclaw251 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading up on the music behind some of my favorite Disney movies. It was nice reminiscing on some of the first songs I enjoyed as a child & even now listening to them as an adult. The book was well put together and an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book.

[Keith Chawgo · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Bohn has put a lot of love and time into this detailed chronicle of the animated music used in Disney animation from the very beginning with Steamboat Willie, first animation short to marry music with images on film, to the last film that Walt Disney would oversee, The Jungle Book.

This is an enriched guide into this world where the animators were gods within their field and the composers, orchestrators and lyricist were the foundation to keep them hoisted up. The book has detailed bibliographies, biographies and history from the Sherman Brothers to lesser known composer and lyrists. There is a goldmine of information found within these pages.

At times, there is an academic approach to the work that some readers may get lost in but overall, Bohn has developed a happy medium to satisfy the novices within musical theory. He also is able to take apart and examine the use of music through its many forms. You can tell that a lot of love, hard work and dedication came when putting this book together. If you are a Disney fan or interested in the art of film music, this is certainly the book for you. This is a must for any collector.

The only downfall would be the asking price which is a little high for anyone that is the consummate fan of Disney which could scare some fans off. Anyone who does purchase the book, will not be disappointed.

[Avery Delany · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first episode of the Disneyland television series, Walt Disney states: “During the last few years, we’ve ventured into a lot of different fields. We’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with a lot of wonderful people. Our only hope is we never lose sight of one thing: that it was all started by a mouse.” The statement is not entirely accurate. It started with music…

The first film that I ever went to see at the cinema was The Lion King, released in 1994, when I was two. My nan’s husband, who took me to see it, recounted that I was so small that I kept falling down the back of the seat and he had to spend the entire movie holding the seat down for me but that I didn’t make a peep because I was so completely enraptured with what I was seeing. 23 years later that’s as true today as it was then. The Disney animated features and, in particular, Disney music has held such a special place in my heart and I continue to take every chance I have to learn more about the rich world of Disney. Despite my small collection of Disney books already, I had noticed something, which James Bohn elaborates upon in the book, that although there were many books that filled my TBR pile on Disney’s animation and representation in the films, there were hardly any books about Disney’s music. This seems incredibly odd given the centrality of music to the Disney films and their success. So, when I came across this on NetGalley I knew I needed to have it and I’m so thankful that the wonderful University of Mississippi Press approved me for it!

Music in Disney’s Animated Features is expertly written, fascinatingly engaging, and thoroughly covers its subject. Bohn guides us right from Steamboat Willie all the way up to the last animated feature that Walt Disney was alive to oversee; The Jungle Book. The book is well-laid out in a way which deals with each movie in turn and each chapter introduces us to the film, the colourful characters who wrote the music that we love, provides us with an interesting analysis of the features music alongside excerpts of sheet music, and gives an overview of the film’s reception and any re-recordings of the features music.

As a composer himself, Bohn is able to expertly write about a number of the techniques used by Disney including ‘Micky Mousing’, leitmotifs, rhymed dialogue transition, song archetypes, and the use of music to establish character, reveal plot and further narrative. I am not musically gifted in the slightest – I cannot play any instrument or sing, let alone read sheet music or understand complex musical techniques – so some of Bohn’s discussion around these areas went straight over my head. However, because of the way that the chapters are easily laid out with identifiable subheadings, it is easy to skip ahead anything too technical without missing out on anything important. Bohn also provides enough interesting material around the technical analysis which keeps the book interesting for non-musical readers.

One of the things that I loved the most about this book though is how central Bohn casts the rest of the Disney staff. It is made clear at multiple points throughout that this book is not just about the talent of Walt Disney and his legacy, but it’s also about the numerous contributors whose blood, sweat and tears made Disney into what it is today. After a brief introduction to the film itself, each chapter includes a substantial biography of one (or two in the case of the Sherman Brothers) songwriters, composers, and musicians who worked on the feature. This biographical element is not tacked onto the end of the chapter nor hidden amongst the rest of the chapter but is given pride of place right at the beginning of the chapter with a subheading devoted to the individual.

I think this is really something that makes Music in Disney’s Animated Features stand out. Through his use of quotes from family members, workers and archived material from Walt, Bohn goes to great lengths to make this book personal. He constructs a narrative in which Disney is not this huge abstract corporation, but that it is the sum of all of its talented members of staff who work tirelessly to create showstopping films and which celebrates their achievements.

The only criticism that I had of the book was that the ending chapter felt quite rushed. Whilst it is not unusual for some of the chapters to be divided between two animated features, the last chapter on The Sword in the Stone and The Jungle Book also had to share its last pages with a conclusion. I felt that this really squashed in a lot of important information about Walts death, changes at Disney regarding animation and staff, and the importance of music in a way that detracted from some very powerful messages about the direction that Disney has been going in post-Tangled. It would have been much better for there to have been a small concluding chapter to really hit home Bohn’s points.

Overall, this is definitely a must-read for any fans of Disney and/or Disney music and Bohn’s book is an excellent addition to anyone’s bookshelf. And I am completely here for any further books which deals with post 90’s Disney music!

The essence of a Disney animated feature is not drawn by a pencil, pen, paint, or pixels… it is written in notes.

This book was received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A careful and scholarly account of the animated features (those written while Walt Disney was still alive) and their musical characteristics, technical and analytical details and their reception from the general public and critics.

To read this book you'll need to understand music and the technical names of degrees of the scale, as well as various terminologies a musician would be expected to know. What follows is a fascinating account of something that hasn't been done enough, a link of leitmotifs to characters as well as compositional techniques and long running themes and likenesses. The three princesses of Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty for example, all containing similar musical motifs and harmonic workings.

I loved this book as I like the Disney films and the perfection they insist upon in music (and other areas), seeing how the two elements are fused together was great. I particularly liked the detailed narrative of the Shermans, who of course are the leading lights of many a Disney music feature.

[Lauren Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a deep dive into the music in Disney. And I mean DEEP. I learned so much. This book is not just about the music itself but also about the composers who created some of my favorite songs. If you love Disney this book is a must read!

[Roxy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for Disney fans!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

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*I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book goes in depth not only on the famous Disney movie songs, but the scores and character themes, from the earliest Disney cartoons and shorts (Steamboat Willie, Mickey cartoons, Silly Symphonies) through the earlier Disney movies (through The Jungle Book). It goes in depth on the composition, and how the scores made the movies whole and affected their acclaim, as well as all the composers who played a part. With bits of sheet music in-between to help illustrate which parts there were talking about.

I thought this was really well put together and super interesting, though I'll admit I skimmed it more than read, but thats because I have a less than limited understanding of sheet music/composition and its so detailed that I didn't care as much to read it fully - nothing against the book thats just me.

Its great for Disney and music fans.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information, well researched and entertaining! A must for any Disney, music, or history fan. 4 out 5 stars.