D-Composed
11 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago -Walt Disney was no musician, yet Disney music has become the soundtrack of our lives. In D-Composed, Isaiah Campbell, author and Disney enthusiast, rolls up his sleeves and digs deep into the history of Disney music and its impact on culture, leaving no stone unturned and no topic unaddressed. Whether you love history, music, or Disney, you are sure to learn something new and finally know why you whistle while you work.
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Episodes
Season 2, Episode 1: A Case for History, Music, and Animation
February 02, 2021 13:00 - 17 minutes - 24.8 MBIn the first episode of our second season, Isaiah takes a step back and examines whether analyzing the history of cartoon music is a worthwhile endeavor today. (Spoiler Alert: It is.)
Episode 10: Halloween Episode: The Dancing and Singing Skeletons
October 29, 2020 12:00 - 28 minutes - 40.2 MBIn this episode we examine the music of Nightmare Before Christmas and The Skeleton Dance and their shared roots that stretch back over six hundred years.
Episode 9: Carl Stalling Pt. 2: Quoting, Sampling, or Stealing?
October 20, 2020 12:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBIn this episode, we dive deep into Carl Stalling’s methodology of composition and compare it to musical quotation and variation, the bizarre art form of musique concrete, and the innovative creativity of hip hop.
Episode 8: Carl Stalling Pt. 1: The Patron Saint of Cartoon Music
September 15, 2020 12:00 - 25 minutes - 35.5 MBWhen you think of cartoon music, you probably think of the work done by one man: Carl Stalling. In this episode, we take a sweeping look at his life and legacy…and endure a little of his madcap looniness in the process.
Episode 7: The Other Guys Pt. 2: Popeye and Supes
September 01, 2020 12:00 - 25 minutes - 59.4 MBIn this episode, we look at the meteoric rise and fall of Fleischer studios and the long-term influence their composers have had.
Episode 6: The Other Guys Pt. 1: Koko and Boop
August 18, 2020 12:00 - 29 minutes - 41 MBAs we look at Walt’s biggest rival in the ’30s, Isaiah brings to light the art and music of Fleischer Studios and the Jewish immigrants who gave America some of the most beloved cartoon characters and the greatest animation soundtracks.
Episode 5: The Whistling Mouse Pt. 4: A Time Traveling Steamboat
August 04, 2020 12:00 - 28 minutes - 40 MBHow did all the elements of Steamboat Willie’s music come together to rocket Disney to superstardom? In this episode, Isaiah examines the nature of time itself and how it relates to music as we see the true work involved in synchronizing sound with animation. And we congratulate Alan Menken on [...]
Episode 4: The Whistling Mouse Pt. 3: Walt’s Recording Headache
July 21, 2020 12:00 - 32 minutes - 46.1 MBAfter a disastrous recording session in 1928, Disney might have wondered why he bothered with the process at all. In this episode, Isaiah follows the trail of recording technology from prehistoric cavemen to the Cotton Club in Harlem. Through the process, we see how the process of communication has shaped [...]
Episode 3: The Whistling Mouse Pt. 2: Rolling Down the Music River
July 07, 2020 12:03 - 31 minutes - 44.5 MB“It all started with a mouse,” Disney liked to say. But in reality, it all started with music. Isaiah gives a survey of music history, highlighting especially American music and the influence of Rag-time, as we try to understand why Disney picked Steamboat Bill as Mickey’s first melody.
Episode 2: The Whistling Mouse Pt. 1: Steamboat Willie’s Uncomfortable Heritage
June 24, 2020 02:27 - 31 minutes - 43.6 MBWhen Mickey Mouse whistled on screen in Steamboat Willie, it changed EVERYTHING. But what created the world of music and entertainment from which that moment was born? Isaiah takes you through the uncomfortable American heritage of slavery, blackface entertainment, and the emergence of a distinctly American culture as we examine [...]
Episode 1: Where Does Disney Music Come From?
June 16, 2020 16:48 - 13 minutes - 18.6 MBIn this inaugural episode of D-Composed, Isaiah takes us to the 1954 Academy Awards, where Disney sets a record for nominations and wins. From there, we explore the notion that Disney Music is worth studying on its own merit, acknowledging some problematic issues along the way, and setting up the [...]