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Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Skydance Animation. Menken's music for The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and Pocahontas (1995) has each won him two Academy Awards .
Mar 31, 2023 · As the composer behind The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, Alan Menken has created some of Disney’s most recognizable scores and songs. His canon has paved the way for...
- Alan Menken
- The Sherman Brothers
- Randy Newman
- Oliver Wallace
- Hans Zimmer
- George Bruns
- Elton John
- Phil Collins and Mark Mancina
- Frank Churchill
- James Newton Howard
Alan Menkenknew he wanted to be a composer from the time he was a child. Although Menken learned to play the piano at a young age, he struggled with ADHD and would “fake practice” the songs he’d learn during his lessons. Little did he know that he was learning to compose music by faking the song. This little boy who combated ADHD would go on to com...
Robert and Richard Shermanwere born into music. Their father was a songwriter and encouraged them to compose music together in the early 1950s. In just ten short years, they were creating music for both Disney feature films and the accompanying theme parks. Although they’re responsible for creating the annoying song “It’s a small world,” they more ...
Before he was known for the infamous song “You Got a Friend in Me,” Randy Newman (cousin of famous film composerThomas Newman) kick-started his career at a young age as a songwriter and musician. He released several albums in the 1960s and 70s until he began his composing career in the 1980s. Newman composed an array of Disney songs and film scores...
Born in London, Oliver Wallace moved to the U.S. in 1904. He began his music career as an organ player during the silent film era. In the early 1930s, he joined the Disney studio and started composing for their animated short films. It turned into a 27-year career scoring their various feature films, including The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad...
Born and raised in West Germany, Hans Zimmer figured out early in his life that traditional training was not for him. He was kicked out of several schools and decided to teach himself music. Incorporating electric sounds with a traditional orchestra, he developed a unique style landing him an Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Lion Kingi...
GeorgeBruns attended music lessons as a child but ended up going to an agricultural college at the start of his career. After joining the ROTC band, he decided to drop out and pursue his passion for music in L.A. In the early 1950s, Walt Disney hired him to compose the music for Sleeping Beauty. He worked for Disney for several years after that, wh...
Reginald Kenneth Dwight began his long-time love of playing the piano at just four years old. Knowing he wanted to make music his career, he dropped out of high school to go after his dream and, in 1972, became Elton John. Although he doesn’t compose film scores as a musician, he is a musical genius and wrote the songs (alongside Tim Rice) in The L...
Meeting during the storyboarding process of Tarzan in the 90s, PhilCollins and MarkMancina worked together to create the memorable soundtrackto this action-packed Disney movie. Mancina composed the score for the entire film, but Collins wrote the songs and lyrics. Later on, they’d work on yet another Disney movie, but this time, more collaborativel...
At the young age of 15, Frank Churchill was composing scores for the cinemas as a pianist. He then went to college for medical studies but left the university to follow his passion for music. He worked at a radio station before being hired at Disney Studios in 1930. He composed the music for the Three Little Pigs before being hired to score the sou...
Born into a musical family, James started formal piano lessons at the age of four. He did not stop his formal training until he graduated from the USC School of Music and the Music Academy of the West. He then toured with Elton John in his younger years before becoming a composer for film. In 2000, he started composing and writing music for Disney....
Alan Menken, American composer whose captivating scores helped invigorate the animated feature films of the Walt Disney Company. He earned Academy Awards for his work on the movies The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and Pocahontas (1995).
Legendary composer Alan Menken has created some of the most beloved songs and musical scores of our time, with his unique voice as a composer capturing the imagination of audiences for over 35 years. Known for his music on stage and screen, he is noted for his multiple works with the Walt Disney company (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast ...
Alan Irwin Menken is an American film and musical theater composer and pianist. For Disney, he composed music for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Home on the Range, Enchanted, and Tangled.
Apr 17, 2017 · You probably don't know Alan Menken's name, but you do know his songs. The acclaimed composer and songwriter is the hidden face behind some of Disney's most iconic musicals, including Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. His body of work has earned him eight Oscars and 16 Golden Globes, and he's not done yet.
