Steamboat Music, Silly Symphonies and Sound Fantasies“We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we're curious, and curiosity keeps driving us along new roads.” -Walt DisneyWith a man and a mouse, the history of the world of film, animation and soundtracks was changed forever. Co-founder of Walt Disney Productions, now known as The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney changed the game of the film industry with his animated films, ushering in a new era of animation. Not only were his animations original, but they were innovative. Disney constantly pushed himself to find new ways to advance the medium through which he conveyed his ideas. Starting simply with comics in his school newspaper, Walt Disney evolved his technique for creating films and animations, pushing boundaries by first creating the first synchronized sound animation, then the first color animation, and then the first animated feature film, his musical film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The life of Walt Disney and the events that led to the creation of Steamboat Willie, the first synchronized soundtrack animation, are very important to understanding the history of film soundtracks. Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 5, 1901. At the age of ten, Walt moved to Kansas City and was introduced to vaudeville and movies by his elementary school friend who came from a family of lovers of the theater, Walter Pfeiffer. Walt spent more time at Walter's house than at his own, and they both took classes at the Kansas City Art Institute. In 1917, Walt returned to Chicago and attended evening classes at the Chicago Art Institute, while also serving......middle of paper......during Walt Disney's early life, documents the first steps that lead this man to become one of the most influential and revolutionary figures in the world. Walt Disney used his habit of using soundtracks in his films to evolve it into his Silly Symphonies, essentially short animated ballets set to music, and into the world's first animated feature film, his musical film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, so like his “concert piece”, Fantasia. Disney would later be known as the creator of the happiest place on earth, Disneyland, and founder of one of the most powerful companies in the world, The Walt Disney Company. Music is one of the key components of The Walt Disney Company's success today, and it all started with a man and a mouse. As long as people continue to move forward and open new doors, the world will be led down new and exciting paths.