Creating a theme park attraction is an insanely complicated process, but it’s easy to think of them as magic. We’ve heard so much about the wonderful world of Disney Imagineering, but that is only part of the story. So many individuals beyond the Imagineers help to put together a new attraction. What we know just scratches the surface of the truth behind the scenes. A perfect example is the attractions’ music, which is crucial to their success. The score creates the right mood and emotional connection that keeps us coming back for more.

My guest on this episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast is Paul Leonard-Morgan, who composed the score for the current version of Test Track at Epcot in Walt Disney World. Paul is an accomplished artist with a diverse career in films and television. His work includes the scores for movies like Dredd and Limitless plus TV series like MI-5, Wormwood, and the reboot of Dynasty. Paul is from Glasgow, Scotland and was active in the thriving music scene there alongside talented artists like Belle and Sebastian, Snow Patrol, and Isobel Campbell.

This conversation focuses largely on creating the music for Test Track for the reimagined version that opened in December 2012. Paul worked closely with the Imagineers and wrote a score that connected to the attraction’s futuristic theme. We discuss the challenges writing music for such a large show building with multiple rooms before the ride experience. Paul describes the differences writing for such a massive attraction versus working on a TV show or movie. He shares some great stories from his time working with Disney. We also cover Paul’s work composing the music for the Tron Realm post-show in Shanghai Disneyland.

If you’re a fan of Test Track or just want to learn more about how an attraction score comes together, you should enjoy this podcast. Paul was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to offer some background on creating music for Disney’s theme parks.

Show Notes: Paul Leonard-Morgan

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