Legendary composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast”) chatted with The Comet blogger Jackie Otero about the inspiration and creative process behind Disney’s 50th animated feature, “Tangled,” based on the classic tale of “Rapunzel.” Menken recently received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a well-deserved milestone for the man who holds more Academy Awards than any other living person. The film opens Nov. 24.

What was it like creating the music for the film? 

I was approached shortly after the new directors (Nathan Greno and Byron Howard) were brought on. Together we read the original fairy tale and discussed the story, asking ourselves, what would be a fresh musical style to inform this project? How could this story be adapted through songs? We met in a conference room with renderings of characters and locations, plus storyboards with the general plotline – it took a number of meetings to get everyone on same page. During the process, many verses get written, and those get whittled down – or rather whittled up – to the version that moves forward. The trick is that to tell a story though song, you need to figure out what in the story still needs to be invented.

What influenced the style and concept for the music?

For the song “I’ve Got a Dream,” I started off thinking about “A Mighty Wind” as my model – with that folky, hootenanny sound. It started sounding very bluegrass/country, and we didn’t want that. We then arranged it with a more medieval feeling to it which moved it away from the distracting country flavor. I referenced a lot of American and English folk rock, like Cat Stevens, Joni Mitchell, Richie Havens and Bert Jansch.

How has this project been different from past Disney movies you’ve been involved with?

This is the first one that’s been done in the Pixar environment.  (Pixar CCO) John Lasseter has a strong presence, as both the head of the division and a hands-on animator – he comes out of the trenches.  The experience was different having 35 to 50 people in creative meetings, but it worked! The directors are also much younger than me and have never done musicals. It made me expand from what I’ve done – they looked to me to be a new Alan Menken. The last score I did was “Enchanted,” where the director (Kevin Lima) was somewhat of a musical theater geek – and this film was very different. Here these guys appreciate the music but they come from a more modern viewpoint. Also, the storyline was more challenging – reading the original Grimm fairy tale, there’s no humor in the story, so we had to re-invent it.

How is your creative process different based on the lyricist you’re working with?

I like to shape the songs with my lyricist present. I try to write something that’s tailor-made for what we have in mind for the songs. (“Tangled” lyricist) Glenn Slater is very intense, very self-critical; (“Hercules” lyricist) David Zippel is very smart, effortless, and clever; (“Aladdin” lyricist) Tim Rice brings so much of his personality in his lyrics. The relationships are different, but we always start with the assignment, setting up the song and the style, then come up with a model to work off of.  We think, what existing song would work here? Generally the music and title comes first, with lyrics to follow.

How has your creative process changed over the years, if at all?

My process remains pretty consistent, going back to “The Little Mermaid.”  Back then I was working in MIDI and creating synth demos – that’s been pretty consistent. Now I have a greater confidence about what I do – I’m older and I’ve never been busier. I’m watching my contemporaries slow down and I’m going full tilt – I get burnt out!  Being older, I don’t want to spend all night in the studio, so I’ve contemplated relinquishing some control to a trusted associate, like (conductor/arranger) Michael Kosarin. But it’s hard to let go – no one can replace a composer’s personal opinion.

What do you love most about your job?

I love writing these songs, and I love playing these songs for young audiences. Whether it’s someone who’s aged 4 or 35, there’s an incredible connection that I feel the songs get from the audience. My favorite part is witnessing the effect of these songs – it’s very emotional, and an incredible high.

Check out the film’s trailer: