Disney's O.P.M. (Original Pinoy Magic)

A lot of people say, at some point in life, “I want to go to Disneyland.” Others even end up working there. But very few get to write the songs that accompany Disney magic.

Filipino Rony Fortich, music director at Hong Kong Disneyland, has managed all three. Since coming to the park when it opened in 2005, he’s worked with actors, singers and marching bands to stage Disney’s theme shows and parades.

Not only that, Disney chose Fortich’s song, Celebration in the Air, to mark the Hong Kong park’s fifth anniversary. It was performed live at a splashy opening ceremony in front of Tinker Bell Castle last Friday.

Not bad for a Chartered Public Accountant.

That’s right: Fortich is a CPA by training, not a musician; but his time spent working with Trumpets theater group (he composed Noah’s Big Boat, which became the popular N.O.A.H. musical, among others) back home prepared him to bang out tunes for Mickey, Goofy and Tinker Bell. When Disney asked him to come up with a song for the fifth anniversary event this year, he didn’t hesitate; a week later, he had Celebration in the Air in the can, and a month after that he learned it was chosen by a global panel to be Disney’s theme song for the event.

The song — with lyrics like “Take a breath and look around/where we are feels just right/We picked up speed and covered ground/and now it’s time to take flight” — was performed at the ceremony (in Chinese) by singers Kelly Chen and Hacken Lee. On stage too were Mickey, Minnie and Tinker Bell, all working the crowd. You could call it a Disney Magic moment. Here’s what Rony had to say about the honor.

PHILIPPINE STAR: How did it feel, getting picked by Disney’s global panel?

RONY FORTICH: It was pretty cool. I love the idea that I’ve written a Disney song. That was my dream, five years ago. Five years ago, I was the newbie, I was pretty sure it would take a long time for them to trust me to write a song that was Disney-worthy, so four songs later, it’s pretty cool.

No writer’s block?

No, I sort of had to hide away for a bit to try and come up with a melody that I felt soared, and sort of reflect on the past five years. Luckily, having been with the park five years, I have a sentimental tie to it, so I wrote lyrics based on how I felt about the park, seeing how the park has grown from then to now.

How do you write a Disney song?

The way I write is, I’ll sit down at the piano, I’ll come up with a lyric, whether it’s a dummy lyric or just the lyric, then I’ll play around with the melody. Then I’ll leave it for a while, go have lunch or something. Then I’ll come back to it in the afternoon. If I can still remember the melody, then I’ll keep it. Maybe the next day, I’ll have something else in mind. So it’s a whole week of trial and error. When I found the melody that I felt I liked and I was very happy with, that’s what I felt worked.

Did you get compensated?

Chinese singer Kelly Chen Lee worked the crowd along with Donald, Daisy, Pluto and Mickey at the fifth anniversary launch in Hong Kong.

Well, it’s the joy of working, really. (Laughs) Seeing my song played everywhere, being sung today. That’s the best reward I could ever ask for.

How did you land this gig at Hong Kong Disneyland?

Five years ago, the position opened, and show director Bobby Garcia (from Atlantis Productions) was already worked for Hong Kong Disneyland and asked me if I was interested in applying for the role. I sent my résumé, interviewed, and got the job.

I didn’t really study music, I’m an accountancy major. I always had music on the side, and I’ve always been into musical theater where there are lots of memorable melodies, so a lot of my inspiration comes from Broadway and pop songs — Filipino folk music is so rich, that’s how I get inspired.

A lot of Filipino performers work at Hong Kong Disneyland. Did the recession affect them?

The Filipinos enjoy working here. I lot of them send money home, support families. Some of them have built families here. What’s great is the sense of community here, all of them being away from home. It extends outside the park. Inside the park, you see them perform with such camaraderie; and outside, whether it’s children’s parties or get-togethers, there’s a bond there also.

Who are your musical inspirations?

All the Disney greats: Alan Menken, Steven Schwartz, the Sherman Brothers. Also the Filipino composers: Ryan Cayabyab is a big inspiration.

Tell us about the song.

The melody rises and rises. It starts off slow, it’s a very simple three-note opening line: “Take a breath, look around…” Then the song picks up speed, the melody grows high, there’s a key change and a big ending. I really thought “flight” when I was writing this song.

Is it hard writing for an event with a lot of aerial movements? I keep thinking of U2 doing Spider-Man on Broadway…

It’s tricky sometimes. There’s a lot of things you have to consider. You can’t just write a song that you feel is right. It’s not like a pop song, where you think, “I’m sad today, I think I’ll write a sad song.”

You don’t want people weeping at the celebration.

Right.

So now you’ll get more composing jobs with Disney?

I hope so. Let’s see what doors open after this.

And now you’re in the Disney canon, along with Alan Menken and the Sherman Brothers…

In my own small way, yes. (Laughs)