5 favorite Disney Songs

This Saturday, I'll join other local singer-songwriters for a Dallas tribute to Disney music at Opening Bell Coffee. In preparation for all the fun, I'm sharing my 5 favorite Disney songs. It was really hard to narrow the choices down to only five; I'm a big fan of Disney music. But here goes:

5. "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella

I love the gentle opening of this Disney classic, and the sentiment of the song's title is unforgettable.

4. "Friend like Me" from Aladdin

Robin Williams had a lot of amazing roles, but this one just might be my favorite. It's almost like a magical genie was a better embodiment of his crazy-hilarious brain than a human could be. And the song is comedy gold.

3. "Jolly Holiday" from Mary Poppins

It's truly difficult to pick just one song from Mary Poppins; they're all amazing, and if you've seen the film Saving Mr. Banks then you have even more reason to love them. I picked "Jolly Holiday" because it has a little something for everyone: the lovely voice of Julie Andrews, comedy from Dick Van Dyke, a little flirtation for the grown-ups, and singing animated farm animals for the kiddos.

2. "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast 

Sing with me: "As a specimen, yes, it's intimidating -- no song is quite like 'Gaston!'"

1. "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid

This movie is what made me fall in love with Disney, with singing, and with musical theatre at the tender age of 8. I cannot tell you how many times my friends and I watched this movie and sang our hearts out. It was the "Let it Go" of my generation.

I'll be singing one of these five plus a few others this Saturday, March 7th at Dallas Does Disney at Opening Bell Coffee, and you won't want to miss all the other whimsical covers you'll hear from all the other fantastic local artists. The fun starts around 7:30.