Pocahontas

Pocahontas 

In the movie Pocahontas it depicts two completely different cultures coming together and shows their many differences.  Although there are a variety of differences between the two cultures, they each view each other as "savages" and have negative feelings towards each other.  The music in Pocahontas very clearly states how each culture feels towards the other and also shows each culture's view on the world and on life in general.

The first major song in Pocahontas that I would like to discuss is "Just around the River Bend" sang by Pocahontas. "As she sings "Just Around the Riverbend," we hear of her restless search for something more than a steady husband. Her spiritual advisor -- Grandmother Willow-- a willow tree, encourages her to "listen to her heart"..(Ward 75)." Pocahontas tries to do as Grandmother Willow tells her, but while she is trying, she spots the English ship coming ashore and is completely intrigued. This song really introduces the theme and idea for the movie as a whole. I feel that the main idea of this movie is to follow your heart and not let what others think of your plans or your ideas sway the way you think. This song clearly sums that up by showing us Pocahontas' feelings about the future and how life is "always changing and always flowing." Also, "Just Around the Riverbend" shows that Pocahontas likes change and doesn't like staying in the same pattern of life and choices, she's always up for a challenge.

The second song I would like to discuss is "Color of the Wind." This song happens when Pocahontas is trying to explain her life and her people to John Smith.  John Smith is a "white man" and Pocahontas is beginning to have some love interest in him; therefore, she wants to explain to him the ways of her people and how she views the world. "Pocahontas and Smith are magically drawn to each other. Pocahontas teaches him about her people and the land through her powerful song, "Colors of the Wind" (Ward 75-76)."  She goes on to tell him, through the lyrics, that even though he has been many more places than she has, seen more things, and met more people, he still does not understand the importance of living in harmony with not only the land and animals, but also with people that are not like him. "Colors of the Wind" perhaps best sums up the entire spirit and essence of the film . . . this song was written before anything else. It set the tone of the movie and defined the character of Pocahontas (Edgerton)." Pocahontas shows John Smith that there is more to something than meets the eye through the influential song "Colors of the Wind."

The final song in Pocahontas that I would like to mention is "Savages." This song takes place towards the end of the movie and really paints a vivid picture of how each culture feels toward each other.  There is so much rage and passion that each people group is holding in about the other and in this number they finally release it and show all of their anger. This particular song takes place right before the climax of the movie and right before a major fight is about to break out. It shows that although both people groups think that something is wrong with the other, they are both savage and uncivilized in their own way. Because this song is sang the exact same by the Native Americans and the English Men it very clearly shows how both groups have problems of their own. "At dawn, with both groups preparing to fight, each sing their own cruel version of "Savages (Ward 76)." Fortunately, at the end of this song, Pocahontas breaks up the fight and mends the angry feelings between the two groups of people. 

By Maury Doerge

Edgerton, G., & Jackson, K. (1996). Redesigning Pocahontas. Journal Of Popular Film & Television, 24(2), 90.

Ward, A. R. (1997). Unearthing a disney world view: The rhetorical dimensions of disney morality in "the lion king", "pocahontas", and "disney's the hunchback of notre dame". Regent University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, , 244-244 p. Retrieved from http://lib-ezproxy.tamu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/304412884?accountid=7082. (304412884).

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The movie starts off with a group gypsies sneaking into Paris, but get ambushed by the minister of justice. One gypsy tries to escape with a deformed baby, but the minister, Claude Frollo, chases and kills her outside Notre Dame. He tries to kill the baby, but is since he has killed the woman, he agrees to raise the child as his own son. He gives him the name Quasimodo, which literally means half formed. Twenty years later, Quasimodo is isolated in the bell tower of Notre Dame and rejected by the outside world. He decides to sneak out to the Festival of Fools where he is crowned the King of Fools, only to be humiliated by the crowd after the guards start throwing fruit at Quasimodo. A gypsy, named Esmeralda, helps the hunchback and using a trick to avoid being arrested. She follows Quasimodo, but she is followed by Captain Phoebus, who is one of Frollo’s guards. Phoebus refuses to arrest her and instead, has her trapped in the cathedral. Esmeralda finds Quasimodo, who helps her escape Notre Dame. Frollo then goes on a hunt to find Esmeralda and burns down many houses while looking for her. Phoebus defies a direct order from Frollo, who then orders him to be executed. He gets injured and falls into the river, but Esmeralda takes him to Quasimodo to hide him. Frollo tricks Quasimodo into leading him to Esmeralda and the other gypsies. Frollo tries to burn her, but Quasimodo rescues her and takes her back to the cathedral. The hunchback keeps Frollo’s men from entering the cathedral by pouring molten copper onto the streets, however, Frollo gets inside. Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Frollo all end up on the balcony where Frollo falls to his death. Quasimodo falls to, but Phoebus catches him. In the end, Quasimodo is accepted by the people and treated as a hero.

“The Bells of Notre Dame” is the opening song in the film, which seems to be a reoccurring theme throughout the movie. This is most likely because the bell tower in Notre Dame is where Quasimodo lives and he is the main character. This beginning piece also incorporates parts from other pieces, such as "Hellfire" in it's opening.

As the movie progresses, we meet a character called Esmeralda, who is a gypsy. Esmeralda and the gypsies seem almost magical at first. Even in the scene where Esmeralda evades arrest, the audience sees her use a magic trick to escape. “Taking into account the early fourteenth-century cultural milieu of Eurasian societies, the symbol might have alchemical and religious connotations associated with magic and spiritual practices widespread…” (Ward). The gypsies were associated with magic and spiritual practices throughout the movie, which Frollo also seemed to deem as witchcraft, while the religious aspects were portrayed by Frollo himself. Later in the movie, we see Esmeralda praying to God in the cathedral in the song “God Help the Outcasts”, which shows that she is human just like everyone else. It also shows the emotion in her voice about caring for the other gypsies.

This song is just one example of the religious references in this movie. Laced throughout the film are religious references, since Quasimodo living in a cathedral and Frollo is a minister of justice. About midway through the film, Frollo realizes he has feelings for Esmeralda and prays to the Virgin Mary, yet another reference, in the song “Hellfire” to have her accept his affections or for her to burn. He proceeds from here to try to burn Esmeralda later in the movie, but this represents a dark turning point in the movie. Up until this moment, we see the lighter side of each character, such as the kindness of Esmeralda, for example, but Frollo shows the darker side of himself by using darker lighting as well as flames all throughout the song. This also raises the discussion that this movie has “too many dimensions of tragic framing…included in the film, and the result is an uneasy confusion. Even with the upbeat ending, the tragic dimensions…establish conflicting emotions.” (Prazniak)

After the song, “Hellfire”, Quasimodo and Phoebus work together to help Esmeralda and the other gypsies from Frollo. In the end, the song, “The Bells of Notre Dame”, plays again as Quasimodo is accepted by the citizens for being a hero.

Works cited

Prazniak, Roxann. "Siena on the Silk Roads: Ambrogio Lorenzetti and the Mongol Global Century, 1250–1350." Journal of World History 21.2 (2012): 177-217. Project Muse. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_world_history/v021/21.2.prazniak.html>.

Ward, Annalee R. Mouse Morality: The Rhetoric of Disney Animated Film. N.p.: University of Texas, 2002. EBSOHost. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.

 

Peter Pan: The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up

Erin Langford

How do you get to Never Land? Well if you have ever watched the Disney classic Peter Pan the answer is easy.  Peter Pan is classic story of a boy who decides he will never grow up and the Darling children who grew up idolizing the concept of Peter Pan but who ultimately make the choice to go back home to grow up. The characters and the music appear to be based on a more romantic time period than anything else."The English Romantics were heirs to the idea of the child as a representation of creative energy, autonomy, potentiality, authenticity, and unselfconsciousness" (Chapman). Peter Pan seems to be the poster child for this thought. 
The movie starts out with the song “The Second Star to the Right” sung by The Jud Conlon Chorus, who had previously sung the music in Walt Disney’s other classic Alice in Wonderland (1951). “The Second Star to the Right” lyric’s contain the answer to the question asked earlier and portrays Never Land as a dream like place to get away from your troubles. The other song sung by the Jud Conlon Chorus “You Can Fly! You can Fly! You Can Fly!” has lyrics like “Think of all the joy you'll find when you leave the world behind” which promotes a theme of leaving the real world for a more carefree world such as Never Land where Peter Pan resides.

The character Peter Pan though symbolizes much more than just the concept of not wanting to grow up, many people believe that Peter Pan is the symbol of youth. In fact the idea of Peter Pan’s eternal symbol of youth had a lasting impact on Michael Jackson’s Never Land Ranch came from Peter Pan, the famous ‘King of Pop’s hope was for children to come and to experience a childhood that Jackson himself could never have.

 (Michael Jackson's Never Land Ranch)

Before Peter Pan was a Disney movie, it was first a novel written by James E Barrie that focused on a different theme besides not growing up. “In Peter Pan it is firmly limited and located within a highly civilized social setting and is motivated by the parents' life, full of stresses and strains, and Wendy's incipient adolescence. This is conscious fantasy, designed by an adult who has a truly remarkable sympathy with children, quite exquisitely shot through with the ironies of a game both sides consciously are playing, though from different points of view” (Green). After the novel came out it was then made into a Broadway. In this version is when the theme of never growing up became more pronounced. With the song “I Won’t Grow Up” featuring Peter Pan and the lost boys displaying their displeasure of getting older. In this particular Broadway play Peter Pan, played by Cathy Rigby who was nominated and won Outstanding Actress in a Musical, was grossed at $18,459,034 by the end of the show, while it was not as popular as other Disney movies turned Broadway it did better than expected(.

 

The lasting affect of Peter Pan on society is solely through the tiny character Tinkerbell, who is ironically the only one who doesn't talk. In fact in the movie Peter Pan her thoughts, feelings, and actions are portrayed through sounds and music. Since the creation of Tinkerbell there have been rumors that she modeled after none other than Marilyn Monroe which has since been proved wrong, but to this day she is considered one of Disney's most well known figures. Even the movie was produced in 1953, Tinkerbell to this day is still so popular with little girls and adults alike that the Disney Corporation created a spin off series purely based on Tinkerbell and her other fairy friends leaving a lasting legacy of Peter Pan to this day.

Works Cited
Amanda Phillips Chapman. "The Riddle of Peter Pan’s Existence: An Unselfconscious Stage Child." The Lion and the Unicorn 36.2 (2012): 136-153. Project MUSE. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://muse.jhu.edu/>.

Martin Green. "The Charm of Peter Pan." Children's Literature 9.1 (1981): 19-27. Project MUSE. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://muse.jhu.edu/>.

Tarzan: Changing the Sound of Disney

Tarzan: Changing the Sound of Disney

Bailey Barton

Released in 1999, Disney’s Tarzan was an instant sensation, due in large part to its musical score. Wanting to try something fresh, Disney hired Phil Collins, a well-known preforming artist, to compose and record all of the songs that were to appear in the film. This new take on Disney music would call for simply background music, as opposed to singing characters. Though a little risky, this new idea proved very successful and was welcomed into the world of Disney music.

Phil Collins seemed a perfect fit for creating a sound that Tarzan could call its own, as he thinks of his greatest passion in percussion. Indeed, the sounds of the jungle, as Collins was excited to explore, could have endless possibilities with drums. Also adding to the newness of creating this soundtrack, Disney was sure to pick someone that the public recognized as a celebrity. Phil Collins’ career was already on the rise when he started the Tarzan project, appearing on television in the late 90s on programs like the Late Show (1996).

By using a recognizable name, Disney was able to attract the interest of more people prior to the premier of the movie. To up the celebrity draw to the film, the very popular 90s boy band, ‘N Sync, was added to the soundtrack as they assisted in the making of the song, “Trashin’ the Camp.”

Making this fun song available only for buyers of the Tarzan soundtrack after the release of the movie, Disney was able to make immense amounts of money through customers eager to own the song (My family was guilty of this; we totally have the CD).

             Another twist on the musical aspects of Tarzan was that the characters themselves wouldn’t sing solos and ensembles as in almost all other Disney movies in the past, but Phil Collins was to sing in the background of scenes as we watch the main characters interact throughout the film. This received a very positive reaction from America. For example, a comment on the movie’s International Movie Database expressed, “I loved Phil Collins. And while it's great hearing Ariel sing, I think background music was better for this particular movie. I couldn't see Jane or Tarzan singing; it makes the whole thing almost unrealistic.” This video on best presents what it was like for Collins to try and create the mood he wanted in different parts of the film through music.

The success of Phil Collins’ songs was huge. In fact, one of his songs, “You’ll be in my Heart” won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best original song. The song spent 19 weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary music charts, and reached #21 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Adding to the firsts for Disney, Wikipedia states that, “Tarzan was the first Disney soundtrack to be recorded in multiple languages for different markets, by original singer Collins were English, Italian, German, Spanish and French versions.” Disney had successfully reached out into the world with its music.

 

The popularity of Disney’s Tarzan didn’t stop in the 90s. “In 1999, Disney's animated ‘Tarzan’ grossed $448 million worldwide. Warner Bros. and Jerry Weintraub have been developing a live-action "Tarzan" since 2003 and have negotiated with Guillermo del Toro and Stephen Sommers to direct at various points” (McNary). In 2006, Disney’s Tarzan appeared on Broadway. The production was later nominated for a Tony award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical. “Disney characters and stories have delighted audiences worldwide for nearly nine decades. As The Walt Disney Company has sought to reach new international markets in the twenty-first century, Disney’s live theatrical productions have served a unique and powerful ambassadorial function in which body and representation play vital roles” (Cerniglia). Clearly, the influence of Tarzan affected both American and International society through its new and inventive way of telling a story through music.

Works Cited:

Cerniglia, Ken, and Aubrey Lynch, II. "Embodying Animal, Racial, Theatrical, and Commercial Power in The Lion King." (n.d.): n. pag. Rpt. in Dance Research Journal. 1st ed. Vol. 43. N.p.: Cambridge UP, 2011. 3-9. Project MUSE. Web. 14 Nov. 2012.

McNary, Dave. "'Tarzan' Returns in 3D." Variety. N.p., 9 Aug. 2010. Web. 14 Nov. 2012

 

The Lion King

One of the main concepts that the lion king touches on is leadership; especially individual leadership and how that affects not just a group, but really everything around you. In the lion king, Mufasa is killed by his greedy brother Scar and he assumes control over the kingdom. In the movie you can see how Scar uses his power for only evil use and that affects everyone else who is around him. The Plains begin to die off along with all the vegetation growing around them affecting the herds that lie amongst this region. Leadership is not a trait that is simply natural to someone; and I think that this movie showed that leadership comes with certain responsibilities. Especially if you control a region of land where there are people you must take care of, sort of like a political figure. You must be able to put aside the things that you want and start thinking about others. Being able to maintain order and satisfying those around you is how a true leader acts, he is selfish. However, as “the Lion king” shows, a leader isn’t born a great leader, he must learn from his predecessors and most importantly his mistakes. Toward the beginning of the movie “King Mufasa presides with wisdom and firmness over a domain that stretches, as he tells his young son, Simba, as far as the eye can see. Mufasa understands and communicates to the future king the lesson of the natural order of things” (Lewis,1). Mufasa begins to show Simba how a good leader is one that cares about others. Mufasa always concentrated on making the world a better place for everyone. This critical principle that he teaches is can be translated from “the circle of life.” In one of the lyrics to the song it talks about how the natural nature of things will bring comfort and hope for all, even in the moment of despair and tragedy. Mufasa wants Simba to know this principle so he can be a selfless leader; and he wanted him to be ready for when the time comes for Simba to take the throne. The knowledge that Mufasa passed down to his son Simba set him up to become someone great; and throughout the movie samba faces challenges like going through adolescence and being on his own in the wild, escaping the treacherous rulings of Scar, and being taught by timon and pumbaa It was these early influences that formed Simba into the king that he wanted to be so bad. He had tremendous ambition to become just like his father. Shown in the song “I just cant wait to be king,” is Simba’s craving to become like his father, the ultimate ruler of the jungle.  All these things added up to making simple a true leader. He learned that by caring for others he is able to make the best possible decisions as a leader. I think that a lot of kids really took this to heart and it sort of shaped this generation into a stronger one; I know it definitely shaped me because growing up I wanted to be just like my dad, just like Simba wants to be like his father. Many of the other Disney movies touched on more emotional bases, but the Lion King definitely stands out to those who are physically and mentally strong in today’s society and with the inspiration they can get from this movie, they can achieve any goal no matter how hard it is.

            One of the key principles that Mufasa wanted to show samba was how maintain prosperity among the safari and how to continue the circle of life. These were both signs of Mufasa wanting Simba to not be a selfish leader and make others happy and show that he cares; because only then will he become a good leader.

In “I just can’t wait to be king” it depicts Simba as a young cub wanting to be king. At this point samba still had a lot to learn but in his eyes he thinks that being king will mean he will be as majestic as his father. He soon learns that in order to be a king there must a lot of responsibilities that he will have to take charge of. At this point in the movie its sort of the start of the growing of a true king. 

    Leadership can be depicted as one of the main bases that today’s society can reflect on however one of the bases that I personally  took away from this movie was much more hidden. “Disney’s animated films reveal the extent of the racial and ethnic stereotyping evident in Song of the South, Aladdin, The Lion King” (Faherty, 2). Some people today believe that the movie, being in Africa, had a lot of little “second meanings” to the composition of each of the characters. I believe Disney did this on purpose however, not to be racist but to show that different cultures have different knowledge that when combined will be extremely useful. One of the main events of the film is when Simba meets Timon and Pumbaa. These two can be depicted as more of the “outsiders” maybe even those who are less fortunate per se. Simba was still quite young when he met his two friends and they began to teach him ways to really live on his own. They sort of parented him into the person he turned out to be more than anyone else. A Lion had never seen the way these guys function on a daily basis and I think that helped Simba tremendously; the Hakuna Matata has become more than a song to the three amigo’s it becomes a lifestyle that they pretty much use as a foundation for their daily lives. I think this reflects back to us in today’s society quite significantly. The lifestyles that we live today seem more relaxed and go with the flow, much like the Hakuna Matata principal. Living in the United States is a perfect example; we are the biggest melting pot in the world and here in Texas we have so much Hispanic influence everywhere around us. I think kids from this generation who saw these films learned that even though you are of a different race, or ethnicity, that you can work together in a beneficial way. People are blending cultures and we are not as segregated as we were, and not just the adults but in all age groups. Disney used this messaging in a positive way to show that even if you are different you are always valuable to someone. Today’s society cooperates better than it has ever done in the past. Kids see past racial barriers and reach out to each other and that I think is the best educational concept that our society has learned from. 

          During the famous Hakuna Matata, timon and Pumbaa show Simba the different ways of life and other lifestyles that he can benefit from. They show him how to eat differently, interact outside of his comfort zone and basically show him how great it is to live this sort of “care free” lifestyle.

    Citations:

         Faherty, Vincent E. "Is the Mouse Sensitive? A Study of Race, Gender, and Social Vulnerability in Disney Animated Films." SIMILE: Studies In Media & Information Literacy Education 1.3 (2001): 1-7. Uniersity of Toronto Press. University of Toronto Press, 18 Sept. 2007. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://utpjournals.metapress.com/content/08r60826151511l8/fulltext.pdf>.

         Lewis, Greg. "Lessons of 'The Lion King'" Greg Lewis Org. Washington Dispatch, 28 Jan. 2004. Web. 15 Nov. 2012. <http://www.greglewis.org/2004/012804.htm>.

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid is a tale of a young mermaid princess, Ariel, who is unhappy living her life under the sea and wants to find out what she is missing on land. Ariel falls in love with a human from land named Eric. Her father, King Triton, is very displeased by her disobedience. He had told her to stay away from humans. Ariel finally gets her chance to become human when she makes a compromise with the evil sea witch Ursula. Ursula gives Ariel legs in return for her voice and tells Ariel she must earn the “Kiss of True Love” by Eric by the third day or else she will be turned back into a mermaid and she will belong to Ursula. She agrees to the evil sea witches terms and gets to live life on land with Eric for three days. The sea witch then tricks young Ariel and tries to marry Eric before Ariel does. Ursula takes over Triton’s underwater sea kingdom, until Eric defeats her. Triton gave a lot of respect to Eric for saving his kingdom and decided to let Ariel live on land with him forever. Like most Disney movies, the young girl is able to find her prince charming and that’s what every little girl dreams of. The Little Mermaid won two Oscars for best music, a BMI film music award, and two Golden Globes in 1990. Then it continued its success by winning two Grammy’s in 1991. “Under the Sea” is the song that had the most success from the movie and it is by far my personal favorite song from The Little Mermaid, it is the first song that comes to mind when someone talks about The Little Mermaid. It’s a catchy song that you just want to dance to. The Little Mermaid’s famous song “Under the Sea” is an excellent example of how music makes the movie. When asked most moviegoers relate The Little Mermaid to this famous song.
                               

                                

With every movie made there is the music behind it that creates the dynamics that enhance the characters, their actions and personalities. Prior to the1930’s the movies that were made were silent and had no musical connection. Beginning in the 1930’s, music however began to become a vital part of the movies with King Kong having its original score in 1933. By the end of the 1930 era of movies, music was used to help support not only the actors and characters but the plot as well. In the 1940’s and into the 1950’s the music associated with movies was mostly symphonic with the introduction of Jazz music in the 1950’s. Through the 1960’s and all the way through the 1980’s music as a part of movies continued to advance. “The first widespread use of synthesized sounds in films occurred in the 1980s and film scoring once again underwent a major revolution.” (“Film Appreciation”) Disney’s The Little Mermaid came out in 1989, and was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Howard Ashman. Recently I came upon a book that was about Disney’s film Beauty and the Beast that had a foreword in it by Alan Menken, who had also written music for Beauty and the Beast. He wrote something that really stuck out to me about music as a part of the movies. He wrote, “There is no form like musical. It gets inside of us, haunts us, and somehow changes us for the better.” (Frantz) I have always felt like music is somewhat like a form of therapy, it tends to help a lot of people deal with issues in their life. I also think music says a lot and can be interpreted differently by each individual to suit their many situations in their life. I feel music can make or break a movie, and it is a definite must in films. Disney music is a great example of how music play’s a huge role in films. In this book I learned that Beauty and the Beast was Disney’s first Broadway musical. Menken stated, “Disney had never produced a large-scale musical, much less adapted an animated film onto the Broadway stage.” (Frantz) Soon after this in 2008, Disney’s The Little Mermaid had its chance to be a Broadway musical, just like Beauty and the Beast, and it became a big hit. Disney’s The Little Mermaid had top grossing sales within 96 weeks of $102,444,402. (“The Broadway League”) 

As to Disney music, the general audience is typically a younger group of children. Children are known to like more upbeat music over slow music. Alan Menken made sure with his favorite song “Under The Sea” in The Little Mermaid, that it was very up beat. Alan Menken said, “They (the audience) were just delighted, and you got a sense that the people who were delighted were the smart people, you know? Besides Disney fans, people outside of the Disney family were going, "this is really hip. It's smart." They were surprised and delighted.” (Gilchrist) Another song besides "Under the Sea" in The Little Mermaid that is really hip and bouncy is "Kiss the Girl." The song that was played when Eric and Ariel were in the boat and it was a very romantic moment. 

                                  

Movies are a very vital part of films, especially Disney films. Music is amazing in the way that it can make people feel what is actually going on in the movie like in the video above of the song "Kiss the Girl." You can just feel the flow of the beat and the romance. Disney music in movies is something I will always be able to relate to when i'm older because I related to it so much when I was a little girl. 

Works Cited

The Broadway League. "PLAYBILL." The Little Mermaid Broadway Grosses and Box      Office Statistics. N.p. 15 Nov. 2012 <http://www.playbillvault.com/Grosses/Show/5011/The-Little-Mermaid>.

"Film Appreciation - A Brief History of Music in Films." Film Appreciation - A Brief       History of Music in Films. Debbie Twyman. 16 Nov. 2012 <http://www.twyman-whitney.com/film/essentials/music-history.html>.

Frantz, Don, Sue Heinemann, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, Linda Woolverton, and Alan Menken. Foreword. Disney's Beauty and the beast: A celebration of the Broadway musical. 1st ed. New York: Hyperion, 1995. 12-13.

Gilchrist, Todd. "Interview: Alan Menken." IGN. 3 Oct. 2006. 15 Nov. 2012 <http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/10/03/interview-alan-menken>.

Sleeping Beauty

I found it nearly impossible to find a little girl who doesn't have some amount of love for Disney movies, especially the wonderful princess classics. What makes these fairy tales so heartwarming and uplifting? Mary Costa, the voice of Aurora in the 1959 Disney classic Sleeping Beauty, felt as though music was what was special about this film. She was quoted saying that "The Tchaikovsky music is so romantic and I feel an affinity for the melody. It's quite different from any of the other Disney animated films. It was ahead of its time" (Sahn). Costa herself knew how influential the music of this time less classic would be for generations to come. Most children don’t realize how important the music and lyrics are in their favorite movies. This music can influence the overall theme that the child learns. After all what would Princess Aurora be without her signature song of “Once Upon A Dream"?

            The song, “Once Upon a Dream”, is how the audience is introduced to Prince Phillip for the first time. This is an enchanting duet between the two strangers. It begins with Aurora singing a simple melody, she then sings the chorus without accompaniment form the prince. This would be considered a solo aria, since the lyric are being sung by one person with some kind of musical accompaniment (Bonds).

                                      

The music of Sleeping Beauty not only captivated audiences on the silver screen, it is also a very eloquent ballet. The dancers in, The Sleeping Beauty Ballet, danced with such soft clean lines. These lines were paired perfectly with the soft romantic rhythm of the music. The movements of the dancers flowed very gently with the overall light and peaceful theme of the music. Even though the film and ballet are made for two completely different types of audiences, both performances show how much the music actually tells the story. Since in the ballet the dancers don't have any lines, the music is even more important. It is more important because they are not able to express their emotions with words. They are forced to allow the music to convey the overall mood to the audience as they dance to the peaceful melodies.

Most little girls love to listen to Disney music and sing along joyfully with their favorite princess. In a study done to see what demographics were most effected by the movies. Disney found that "There were 334 distinct characters portrayed in the 19 Disney films. Males comprised 63% (212) and females 28% (93) of the total, while the gender of 9% (29) of the characters could not be determined visually", this shows how much more little girls are effected than little boys ( Faherty). Little girls love the stories that goes along with each princess and prince charming. When they get older they begin to realize what made them fall in love with them in the first place, the music. The music is what gives each princess her individual voice and style. Princess Aurora gets her sweet delightful persona from her smooth enchanting voice. 

Citations

Bonds, Mark E. "Listen to This / Edition 2 by Mark Evan Bonds PhD.

Faherty, Vincent E. "Is The Mouse Sensitive? A Study Of Race, Gender, And Social Vulnerability In Disney Animated Films." Simile 1.3 (2001): N.PAG. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Nov. 2012.

Sahn, Geri. "Talking With...Sleeping Beauty." Good Housekeeping 225.6 (1997): BIH8. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.