Story of Disney music comes to library

GLENDALE ? Children everywhere humming catchy tunes from popular Disney television cartoons are paying homage to a songwriting team who wrote many of those songs in Glendale.

Patty and Michael Silversher have been a prolific songwriting team with more than 100 credits for songs in Disney cartoons and albums since the early 1980s.

They continue to collaborate despite the end of their 20-year marriage six years ago, Patty Silversher said.

“What’s interesting is, we didn’t chose the industry, the industry chose us,” said Patty Silversher, who still lives in Glendale. “Michael was well known for rock-n-roll and for his bands he had when we fell into this. But, it was wonderful because children’s music spans all genres of music. We’ve been able to write every style of music there is.”

They are two of many Disney artists whose careers are partially chronicled in Greg Ehrbar’s book “Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records.”

Ehrbar hosted a book-signing and presentation Thursday at the Glendale Central Library and the Silvershers were on hand, along with several other Disney artists.

Emmy Award officials nominated the Silvershers for Outstanding Individual Achievement for “Winnie The Pooh and Halloween, Too,” and “Winnie The Pooh: A Valentine For You.”

Their “Elmo In Grouchland” album, which featured a Silversher song, won a Grammy Award in 1999.

Children also know Donald Duck’s 50th Birthday song, Mickey Mouse’s 60th Anniversary Song and the title songs for two of Disney’s most popular animated series, “Adventures of the Gummi Bears” and “Tale Spin.” They’ve also written songs for The Muppets.

“Lyrically, we need to be cognizant that we are writing for children and not talking down to them,” Silversher said. “But it has to be cleaner, especially for 5- to 8-year-olds. We don’t preach, we entertain. And we have to give them a lot more credit than you might imagine as far as their sensibilities and understandings and awareness.”

Instead of being restrictive, writing for children is challenging because they enjoy country, rock, pop and classical music.

“Kids like all kinds of music,” she said. “Michael is a composer. He has a tremendous sense of melody and in today’s pop market, a lot of melody has been lost with hip-hop and things. Will they remember the songs of today in 20 years?”

The International Animated Film Society’s Hollywood chapter, which is based in Burbank, sponsored the book signing, chapter President Antran Manoogian said.

gnp-book.1.15-BPhotoInfoJA1T2PKB20060719j2ev5gncCredit: TAMMY ABBOTT The Leader Caption: (LA)Greg Ehrbar, author of “Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records,” present examples of music and film clips at the Glendale Central Library on Thursday.