Terence Blanchard has composed more than forty film scores and performed on more than fifty in his incredible career as a musical artist. While famed Disney composer was the producer of the songs behind the animated film The Princess and the Frog, Terence Blanchard performed the titles “When We Were Human” and “Ma Belle Evangeline”. Terence has once again lent his musical talents to the franchise helping to craft the music for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure coming to Walt Disney World June 28th. In a group interview with press he discussed his collaborative work on the project and how important the sound of New Orleans is to ambiance of the experience.
What does this moment mean to you?
“When I was a kid, I didn’t get to see anything like me on the screen, and as a result I knew what I felt about myself. It was my church, my community, my family that made me understand who I was and what I could offer to the world. To have this and have our kids see this is powerful.”
Do you plan to ride the attraction?
“I got on Flight of the Passage and the only thing wrong about that ride is its too short. But what I love about Disney is that there’s something for everyone.”
How is being a part of this help connect to the next generation?
“We want them to understand some of the origins in pop music where that comes from. I did the music for the queue line. Leah Chase is singing and I’m performing, and hopefully it can spark some interest into listening to other things. Sometimes we tend to narrow our vision because we go down a narrow road of popularity. When that kid is standing in line, that sound is going to be a part of his DNA.”
Music also is about storytelling. I asked a question to Terence about how does the music tell a story which he answers in the video below.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
