Joel McNeely scores Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast

Last fall, Emmy-winning composer Joel McNeely recorded his score to Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast, the sixth film in the hit DisneyToon Studios series of animated features. The music was recorded at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox, and ScoringSessions.com is excited to bring our readers exclusive photos from the scoring sessions!

Mike Nowak conduts Joel McNeely's Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast

The large ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony was conducted by Mike Nowak, and the grandiose orchestral writing that McNeely has been composing for the series benefited from the size of the group.

The brass

The view from the woodwinds

The French horns

The basses

The cellos

In the booth, McNeely oversaw the sessions, sitting alongside scoring mixer Richard Breen. Also at the front of the booth were Matt Walker (Senior VP Music – Walt Disney Studios) and featured instrumentalist Bleu McAuley, who (along with Rob Cantor) wrote original songs for the film. Also in the booth was orchestrator Dave Slonaker, the film’s director Steven Loter, producer Makul Wigert, editor Margaret Hou and DisneyToons Studio Music Production Coordinator Francis Debbane. ProTools recordist Adam Michalak and Brett Swain (Director of Music, DisneyToons Studio) were also on hand to lend feedback.

Composer Joel McNeely gives feedback from the booth

Matt Walker (Senior VP Music - Walt Disney Studios), featured instrumentalist Bleu McAuley, composer Joel McNeely and scoring mixer Richard Breen in the front row of the booth at Fox

Film editor Margaret Hou, producer Makul Wigert, director Steven Loter, DisneyToons Studio Music Production Coordinator Francis Debbane

Director Steven Loter, DisneyToons Studio Music Production Coordinator Francis Debbane, Brett Swain (Director of Music, DisneyToons Studio), and ProTools recordist Adam Michalak

Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast was released on home video on March 3, 2015. A soundtrack album featuring McNeely’s score (and songs by McAuley and Cantor) has been digitally released as well.