How Composer Dave Metzger’s Dream Came True For ‘Wish’
After two decades of working on animated films including Tarzan, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frozen, long-time Disney orchestrator Dave Metzger finally got the chance to compose his first animated feature film.
After 25 years of being an “additional music person” on animated films, Metzger was beginning to wonder if he would ever get a chance at a composing credit.


Photo: Dave Metzger
“I’ve always done a lot of composing, but it’s always been as the unknown composer or the additional music person,” Metzger says.
Everything changed for Metzger after he received a phone call from Matthew Walker, VP of Music at Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios.


Photo: Also Disney
“He said he was considering me to be the composer for ‘Wish,’” Metzger remembered.
Disney’s ‘Wish’
Wish is set to be released on November 22, as part of The Walt Disney Company’s Disney100 celebration.


Photo: Disney
Taking inspiration from a century of classic Disney stories, Wish tells the tale of Asha, a 17-year-old who lives in the magical kingdom of Rosas. Ahsa’s people are ruled by Disney’s newest villain, King Magnifico, in a land built on people’s wishes and hopes.
According to Metzger, the film’s score was influenced by Wish’s original songs which were written by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice.


Photo: Disney
“The idea was that it didn’t sound like the songs were in one world and the score in another,” he explains.
Paying Homage To Disney’s Past
As the culmination of 100 years of Disney storytelling, Wish pays homage to classic Disney films in numerous ways. These include subtle tributes such as using the same aspect ratio as Sleeping Beauty, to more overt nods like the use of watercolors in an animation style that tips its hat to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Not to be outdone, Metzger added a Disney tribute of his own.


Photo: Disney
“There are a couple of spots where you here the first five notes of ‘When You Wish Upon a Star,’” he reveals. “Chris Buck, the director, wanted something different. I played with an ethereal texture. So, we go from the 100th-anniversary logo and transition into the land of Rosas and ‘Wish.’”
Taking Inspiration From Asha
To create the score for Wish, Metzger leaned heavily on castanets and finger cymbals because they had been used in the song’s instrumentation.


Photo: Disney
“I utilized ethnic percussion as well as instruments from the Mediterranean region such as guitars to bring color to the score and evoke that kingdom,” he says
Finally, Metzger wanted the score to reflect Asha’s character.


Photo: Disney
“She has a lot of energy. She’s smart, quick, and always going, so I gave her a bit of momentum musically under that,” he says. “But as the movie goes on, she is beginning to be confronted with conflict. So I started to introduce a little bit of dissonance to her theme.”


Photo: Disney
Wish will hit theaters on November 22. Before Asha has even hit the big screen, however, one man’s wish came true.
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon! Also, thanks for reading!