August 6, 2025 • 23 mins
If High School Musical was your entire personality growing up, you’re in good company. Actor, singer, and songwriter Jaheem Toombs joins the show to talk about his lifelong love for Disney Channel—and what it’s like to now be writing songs for the Disney Channel.
Host Caitlynn McDaniel chats with Jaheem about:
🎶 Writing “Dream Come True” for Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires
🏀 Why High School Musical 2 is still top-tier (and how it taught him to harmonize)
💖 Queer representation in the High School Musical series
🧛 The pure nostalgia behind Zombies 4 and bringing back that classic Disney Channel Original Movie magic
👨👩👧👦 And yes, the internet videos of families recreating the scene? He’s seen them. And he’s crying too.
If you ever forced your cousins to watch you perform a duet in the living room, this episode—and this era of Jaheem Toombs—is for you. Stream the song, watch the movie, and join the comeback of classic DCOM energy.
Host Caitlynn McDaniel chats with Jaheem about:
🎶 Writing “Dream Come True” for Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires
🏀 Why High School Musical 2 is still top-tier (and how it taught him to harmonize)
💖 Queer representation in the High School Musical series
🧛 The pure nostalgia behind Zombies 4 and bringing back that classic Disney Channel Original Movie magic
👨👩👧👦 And yes, the internet videos of families recreating the scene? He’s seen them. And he’s crying too.
If you ever forced your cousins to watch you perform a duet in the living room, this episode—and this era of Jaheem Toombs—is for you. Stream the song, watch the movie, and join the comeback of classic DCOM energy.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Strawt Media. I felt like these guys were my homies
growing up, you know, like I knew that if I
didn't fit anywhere else, I was like, I can get
up with the wildcats, you know, like I can be here.
So they hold a very special place in my heart.
In Disney is my everything.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
You went and wrote songs for our high school musical
of this series. How did that dream Come True?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Happen?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Like dream come True is the theme of this era
of life. I'm telling you that song name is so fitting. Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I'm Kaylea McDaniel, and this week on Pride, I'm so
excited because we're going to talk Disney nostalgia, which is
something that's so.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Near and dear to my heart.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
If anyone knows me, I love talking about anything Disney,
So now I just get to rant about it. And
I also have an amazing interview that I brought into it,
so it's not just me, and he's incredible and talented.
But first I just have to say that I love
talking about Disney and it blows my mind when people
(01:03):
just didn't grow up with the same exact childhood that
I had. So I was trying to talk to my cousin,
and I hadn't seen her in a while. She's twenty
moneth so she's a little younger than me. And I
was asking her what her favorite d com was, which
to me is an obvious question, and she did not
know what a d com is, which, if anyone doesn't know,
(01:27):
it just means Disney Channel original movie. So it aired
on Disney Channel, not in theaters or anywhere else, just
premiered on Disney Channel. I could not believe that she
did not know what that meant, and so we had
to get over that obstacle. And dcoms were whole my
whole life. I just saw Freaky or Friday, which I
(01:50):
will say I really really loved. Obviously I was worried
about sequels, but I did enjoy that one. And Freaky
Friday was a dcom, so this one isn't Freak Your
Friday the sequel, but.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I really I did love that. So I feel like
it's just.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
It's the time of Disney right now, even though in
my life it's always the time of Disney. So this
week I am talking to an amazing songwriter and he
contributed to so much about what Disney Channel.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Is right now.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
He was a child actor now is just doing songs.
He has worked on projects like High School Musical, the
Musical the Series and Zombies four, So if any of
those ringingy bells for you, both of them have really
contributed to where Disney is now on representation, which I
really love.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Zombies.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
The whole series is about accepting people for who they are,
despite their differences, and really showing that to kids, but
in such a fun musical way. In High School Musical
the Musical the Series is obviously a revamp on the
amazing High School musical movies, but it also just followed
there's a bunch of kids in high school, We're just
(03:03):
trying to get along. It brings an amazing queer story,
which I was so excited about because again my guests
got to play a big part in a queer storyline
for that show with Joe Sarafini and Frankie Rodriguez, so
if you know who they are, and that was such
an amazing thing for him to be a part of.
(03:24):
And for Zombies four, there's this new song in that
movie that everyone, at least for me, is obsessed with
and I can't stop streaming it. I know it's gonna
show up on my Spotify, it's gonna be it's gonna
be the top charted song. And it's just this random
song from a Disney soundtrack, but it's called Dream Come
True and it's so fun and so many people are
(03:47):
flagging it as something that's bringing back nostalgia to Disney,
which I think is something we're all looking for. Everyone's
like it's giving camp rockets, giving high school musical and
it really does.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
And so I want to talk to.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
This songwriter about how he's doing that, what he even
looked into. He's so young as well. His name is
Jahime Toombs, and he brought all of that nostalgia, even
though you know he grew up at a different time
of that may not have understand fully all of the
nostalgia that are packed into some of these Disney projects,
but he managed to really relate to people and bring
(04:23):
all of that and also just create a killer song
for this movie.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
So, without further ado, we're going to talk to him.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
He's going to talk about how he got into this
songwriting business, working for Disney, what that's meant for him,
and also working again on so many of these queer
and representative projects that Disney has been pushing out, so
I'm so excited for you to hear this interview.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Let's bring him in Jahiem. How are you?
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Oh, I'm fantastic. How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I'm amazing, so excited to talk to you about this.
I have to say this song has been in my
head twenty four to seven.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Thank you so much. That makes me so happy to hear.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I was like, I don't know if you're overhearing that,
because I feel like that's how most of the internet
is to me.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
I could never hear it even like it is blowing
my mind seeing everybody sing this song and enjoy it
and love it as much as I do, and love
this movie as much as I do, Like it is
just so wonderful and exciting, So thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
No, I literally I saw, you know, one of those
videos where it's like someone's trying to rob me, and
this is the song I'm listening I sawna and not
not because it's so often I'm like it, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
If it goes down, I will be streaming this song,
I fear. I Oh.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Just to start out, I want to hear about your
experience with Disney, Like, what was the first d com.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
That really had you hooked on this?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Oh man, we don't talk all day. Well, let me
let me.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
High School Musical was my genesis. That was what started
it all for me. Oh it was my personality. I
was really wild and intolerable about it. You couldn't tell
me I wasn't Court and Blue.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
For some years.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
It was the only film and the only thing, the
only time in my life that I was prompted to
pick up a basketball and you know, try that. And yeah,
I really like, I didn't have a lot of friends
growing up, So those d coms were really, really, really
formative and special for me because I felt like these
(06:50):
guys were my homies growing up. You know, like I
knew that if I didn't fit anywhere else, I was
like I can get up with the wildcats, you know,
like I can be here. So they hold a very
special place in my heart. In Disney is my everything.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
So what was your go to song from High School
Musical that you were jamming in the car?
Speaker 4 (07:11):
No, okay, go to song?
Speaker 1 (07:16):
It was fabulous by Sharpey Okay was fabulous. It was
out with the old and in with the new. It
was you know, I can't play. But also I was
always a fan of a duet, So I love can
I have this dance? You wrote the music in me
Like those songs not only were everything for me, but
they taught me how to harmonize. Like it was my
(07:39):
earliest introduction to musical theater in any capacity. So when
I heard two people singing together, you know, different notes
like simple as that, I was like, what is going on?
This is wizardry, this is insane. And that was what
piqued my interest in learning more about music. And I
remember bringing a high school musical city to school to
(07:59):
my muse teacher and being like, teach me how to
do this. She was my best day of it. I
was like, teaching me how to do this. I need
to learn how to sing this song?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
What is this? And she was like that's called harmonizing day. Yeah,
we'll work on it.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
But yeah, so this is a little I feel like
this is a hot take for people like they have.
There's always a battle over what the best high school
musical is, which one has the best soundtrack?
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Where are you okay? This is a different question. The
best soundtrack. Yeah, I'm gonna say for me, a high
school musical two might have the best soundtrack. To me
(08:43):
because we gotta get up for work, this out and
bed on it and like you are the music in me.
But three, three and two are like this for me
because like I want it all alone. Could really take
the you know, complicated question. But I think my heart
is with two because I had a strange experience with
(09:05):
high school musical.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
It became my everything.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
But I actually saw the second movie first and then
went back and so that one really had a chokecote
on me.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
So I'm gonna say.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Number two okay, Okay, I won't hold it against you, don't.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Worry well, like real quick, what about you? What sounds trick?
Are you taking three? Okay? And I won't fight you
on that because.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
You know, it's really like for me, it's like Scream
versus bet on it, and I just really love Scream.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
All right, wait, because getting ready for the night of
Nights to night. Okay, I'm tire. That's brilliant, And I
won't argue with you. I think we're both right, right,
That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Like I was, like I'm hearing you, like my thoughts
are different, but also like I agree with yours.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
So yeah, it's hard, it's really it's difficult.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So going off of that, you went and wrote songs
for our high school musical this series right, yes, yes,
how did that come to be?
Speaker 3 (10:02):
How did that dream come true? Happen?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Man? Like? Dream come true?
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Is the is the theme of this era of life.
I'm telling you that song name is so fitting. That
was so magical and wild and full circle. I you know,
was kind of introduced to Disney, you know, in a
professional way through an original musical that I have been
writing for many years that mister Kenny Ortega is developing
(10:30):
alongside us.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
I can tell you that story too, but we'll be
here all day.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
He's my really my hero growing up, and I very
much manifested him into my life in orbit, like on paper.
I have the receipts from when I was eight years old,
like it was really serious because those movies were everything
to me. So that is kind of how I came
into the land of Disney and this high school musical
opportunity showed up and me and my bestie wrote that
(10:56):
one together, and.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
I on sleep.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Sometimes forget that it's like real, you know, like that
that's a real extension of the high school musical universe
that I got to contribute to like it's wild and
it was such a special song too, And they had
built such a wonderful love story between Joe and Frankie
on that show, and to get to, you know, even
touch that a little bit was just so exciting.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
I'm very grateful for that and still trying.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
To wrap my head around the fact that it happened
in real life.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Yeah, it's also monumental because you know, their relationship in
the show was so great for queer representation, especially within
the Disney franchise. So how did it feel being a
part of that?
Speaker 1 (11:48):
That just made it all the more, Like, it just
made it so much more magical. I know what it
would have meant to me, I know, you know, like
it's just so special and wonderful that we get to
tell these stories and that I get to be a
part of bringing them to life, and that High School
Musical has always been like this has always given me
(12:11):
the space to see you know, I've always been able
to see myself. I've always been able to watch, sit down,
WATCHHGH School Musical and be like I belonged there wherever
that's happening. So, you know, as time goes on and
we get even more expansive, and it's just like it's
just so beautiful and gorgeous. I I don't have the words.
I'm stuttering right now because I'm really speechless and so
(12:31):
happy and grateful to Tim Feederly for writing such a
beautiful love story and putting it out in the world,
and obviously to Disney for making me get accessible for
millions of children around the world that I know it
means so much too, because I am one of them.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
You know. With Zombies four and with the song Dream
Come True, a lot of people have been bringing up
that it's bringing back this like Disney Channel nossalgia that
we've been missing. So what was your like game plan
going into this song? Like, what were you really wanting
to bring.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
To the table? Well, that was mission one.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I was like, if this was my joint and this
was my new couple on a Disney Channel original movie,
how would I like it to sound? You know, like,
I was so huge on that at eight years old,
nine years old, ten years old. It did lasted forever.
I'm still in my Disney Disney Channel included era. I
love it all, but you know, I was hoping that
it would be nostalgic that's what I had to pull from,
(13:44):
you know. I immediately went back and watched all of
Troy and Gabriella's duets, and watched all of Mitchie and Shane,
and watched all the you know, like every single Disney
couple that I could think of in my mind, I
was like, what made it so magical and romantic and wonderful?
And then also I think that musically you can feel
(14:07):
and hear a lot of my influences in this song.
I think it's very you know, it's no secret that
I grew up in the two thousands if you really
dissect the production, and yeah, I'm so glad that people
are able to recognize that part is wild to me too,
that people are not only resonating with the story and
(14:28):
with the characters, but I'm getting so many sweet messages
about like I see you with the production in this
nod right here, you know, with this with this part,
like people are breaking it down in a way I
never imagined, and it's resonating in a number of ways
that are kind of unexpected and beautiful. So I'm really
hype about that and amazed by that.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Yeah, and I feel like we all have been really
craving that nostalgia recently. So when you went back and
you looked into all of these songs that meant so
much to us in our childhood, like, what did you
find that you really wanted to pull into this?
Speaker 1 (15:04):
You know, I think there was just kind of this
I don't know what the word I'm searching for is,
but something about all of those relationships was just so
it was so honest and it was so pure, and
(15:27):
I like literally sat down and journaled as these characters
for a moment and was just like, you know, because
the story was already so gorgeous, So more than like
trying to be like how can I make this Gabriella
and Troy, it was really trying to discover and find
out who Victor and Nova were.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
You know, I had never seen them before.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
I didn't I didn't even have a face to put
to them at the moment yet, So it was just
kind of trying to understand where they come from. And
you know, I sound like a broken record, but like
it really is so beautiful that story of two people
from completely different worlds being told here's what we do,
(16:09):
and here's what we hate, and here's what we love
and here's blah blah blah blah blah, and meeting somebody
who believes what you believe and sees you and doesn't
judge you and doesn't want to fight you.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Like, that's just so gorgeous in itself.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
And I think the honesty and the understanding of who
these two people are informed the way that it should sound,
and what they should be saying to one another. And
I guess it just kind of manifested in this magical
way that was nodding at Old Disney Channel. It was
on purpose, on accident, on purpose, on accident, on purpose,
(16:44):
you know.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Yeah, And you're already creating such a name for yourself
and you're just getting started. But and it sounds like
you have more projects coming. So I just want to
ask a little bit about what you are hoping to
bring to Disney in the future.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Man.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I am hoping to get to contribute to the Mouse
in any capacity for the rest of my life or
as long as I am able. I really hope more
than anything that I get to contribute to stories that
resonate with people the way that Victor and Nova and
(17:25):
Sevin Carlos did. Like I I knew what it was
for me to feel like I was seeing myself on
the screen. And that's all that I hope to give
to some other kid, you know. And I hope that
I can contribute more bops for them to perform for
their families at Sunday dinner. And by the way, I
have to detour for one second to say that this
(17:47):
morning I saw an incredible video of like a whole family.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
The kid comes in the middle of for me and goes,
all right, everybody get ready for the show.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Here we go, and Victor and Nova come out into
the living room and perform Dream Come True. They got
the cousins involved the playing the pillars. Okay, they're not
even moving, they're not speaking tracks, Okay, they're just standing there.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
They're peeking around them.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
And I was like, this was so me forcing my
family to watch me perform every number from the high
School musical franchise, Like, it's just so wild to see
that happening again. And yeah, I can contribute to that
in any way for the rest of my career. This
is the most magical version of it. I would just
love to be a part of fueling more moments like that,
(18:30):
because you know, those are core memories I'll never forget
performing those songs with my cousins for my family and
begging for the sleepover. And it's just so crazy that
the song that was born in them my bedroom gets
to be the soundtrack to that moment for some other kid.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Yeah, that's so that's so cute.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Oh my god, I bet your dam's are just flooded
with so much beautiful messages like that.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
It is really beautiful. Yeah, I'm so grateful. I'm amos.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I'm so grateful, and I can cry about it all
the time, but you know, I've been very fortunate to
get to speak to people directly and hear their experience
with the song, and it is just so gorgeous.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
I'm really grateful.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Even just talking about you know, you pulling those inspirations
and everyone just feeling really back in their roots. I
remembered that when there was like the time where their
faces were brought up on like the little close ups
in the movie, and it gave me exact like camp rock,
and I was like, I feel at home. Yeah, Sean,
(19:31):
I feel safe.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Yes, this is familiar. There is something in the film
that is just so like home and familiar. It is
really nostalgic. In that way, and that's so cool for
a number of reasons, seeing it happen for Freya and
Malachi in the way that I watched it happen for
Milo and Meg, who I like literally grew up with,
(19:54):
so like seeing the world love them in the way
that I loved Gabriella.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
And Troy and Mitchie.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Like it's just it's so gorgeous, you know, and people
will always latch to this, you know, Like I'm so
grateful that Disney is making musicals and keeping it alive
for the kids, because you got to get the kids taste,
you know what I'm saying. Like, it's so it was
so valuable to me to be able to wake up
and rewatch my favorite music song and dance musical and
(20:22):
feel like I belong to somewhere.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Like it is just so it's so simple, but it's.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
So important, and I'm really glad that Disney is keeping
it alive and that I get.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
To contribute absolutely. I mean, and with zombies too, it's
I love that the messaging is really about accepting everyone,
you know, because it's like you said, it's like we're
seeing ourselves on screen, but also they're really just outwardly
saying it, which is so wonderful to see in Disney
and for you know, the youth growing up now to
see wonderful. Is there anything else you want to say
(20:53):
before we wrap up?
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yes, I'm just that I'm so grateful to be a
part of this wonderful, magical franchise. And if you love
all things Disney and fun, you should go watch The
Zombies four Donald the Vampires quick because if you haven't
seen it yet, you are missing out.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Let me tell you.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
It is thrilling, it is magical, and as we've said
a million times on this little chat right here, it
is so nostalgic of everything that we loved about the
dcom growing up. So I am excited for people to
watch it. And whoever's watching this right now, like when
you turn this off, go turn the movie on on
(21:29):
Disney Plus.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
How can you not, or at least go stream Dream
Come true?
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Dream come True at the very least. Yeah, love Spotify
and give a dream. Yeah That's what.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
I'll be doing. Well, thank you so much. It was
so nice chatting with you.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
It was so nice chatting with you as well.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Thank you so much for watching. I still can't believe
all that he has accomplished in such a short amount
of time, and I truly can can't wait to see
what he creates going forward.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
It really shows that if you do have a dream.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Just chase it, because I don't think I mean, he
has said that he didn't think eight year old him
would ever be writing songs for Disney at this level,
and he's just creating these out of his bedroom and
now it's in these amazing Disney projects. So truly, if
you have a dream, they can come true. If that's
one thing to take away from all of this, And
(22:27):
definitely keep watching Disney movies.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
They still exist.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I didn't know where what the children are watching nowadays
on Disney Channel, but they're still there and there's still
amazing projects that you can take a look at if
you're feeling the need for nostalgia. Definitely check out Jahim
Toombs and Yeah, and watch Pride wherever you listen and
watch podcasts. Find us on social media at Pride and
(22:52):
I'll see you next week.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Do you get to give him
Strawt Media. I felt like these guys were my homies
growing up, you know, like I knew that if I
didn't fit anywhere else, I was like, I can get
up with the wildcats, you know, like I can be here.
So they hold a very special place in my heart.
In Disney is my everything.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
You went and wrote songs for our high school musical
of this series. How did that dream Come True?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Happen?
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Like dream come True is the theme of this era
of life. I'm telling you that song name is so fitting. Hi.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I'm Kaylea McDaniel, and this week on Pride, I'm so
excited because we're going to talk Disney nostalgia, which is
something that's so.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Near and dear to my heart.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
If anyone knows me, I love talking about anything Disney,
So now I just get to rant about it. And
I also have an amazing interview that I brought into it,
so it's not just me, and he's incredible and talented.
But first I just have to say that I love
talking about Disney and it blows my mind when people
(01:03):
just didn't grow up with the same exact childhood that
I had. So I was trying to talk to my cousin,
and I hadn't seen her in a while. She's twenty
moneth so she's a little younger than me. And I
was asking her what her favorite d com was, which
to me is an obvious question, and she did not
know what a d com is, which, if anyone doesn't know,
(01:27):
it just means Disney Channel original movie. So it aired
on Disney Channel, not in theaters or anywhere else, just
premiered on Disney Channel. I could not believe that she
did not know what that meant, and so we had
to get over that obstacle. And dcoms were whole my
whole life. I just saw Freaky or Friday, which I
(01:50):
will say I really really loved. Obviously I was worried
about sequels, but I did enjoy that one. And Freaky
Friday was a dcom, so this one isn't Freak Your
Friday the sequel, but.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
I really I did love that. So I feel like
it's just.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
It's the time of Disney right now, even though in
my life it's always the time of Disney. So this
week I am talking to an amazing songwriter and he
contributed to so much about what Disney Channel.
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Is right now.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
He was a child actor now is just doing songs.
He has worked on projects like High School Musical, the
Musical the Series and Zombies four, So if any of
those ringingy bells for you, both of them have really
contributed to where Disney is now on representation, which I
really love.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Zombies.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
The whole series is about accepting people for who they are,
despite their differences, and really showing that to kids, but
in such a fun musical way. In High School Musical
the Musical the Series is obviously a revamp on the
amazing High School musical movies, but it also just followed
there's a bunch of kids in high school, We're just
(03:03):
trying to get along. It brings an amazing queer story,
which I was so excited about because again my guests
got to play a big part in a queer storyline
for that show with Joe Sarafini and Frankie Rodriguez, so
if you know who they are, and that was such
an amazing thing for him to be a part of.
(03:24):
And for Zombies four, there's this new song in that
movie that everyone, at least for me, is obsessed with
and I can't stop streaming it. I know it's gonna
show up on my Spotify, it's gonna be it's gonna
be the top charted song. And it's just this random
song from a Disney soundtrack, but it's called Dream Come
True and it's so fun and so many people are
(03:47):
flagging it as something that's bringing back nostalgia to Disney,
which I think is something we're all looking for. Everyone's
like it's giving camp rockets, giving high school musical and
it really does.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
And so I want to talk to.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
This songwriter about how he's doing that, what he even
looked into. He's so young as well. His name is
Jahime Toombs, and he brought all of that nostalgia, even
though you know he grew up at a different time
of that may not have understand fully all of the
nostalgia that are packed into some of these Disney projects,
but he managed to really relate to people and bring
(04:23):
all of that and also just create a killer song
for this movie.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
So, without further ado, we're going to talk to him.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
He's going to talk about how he got into this
songwriting business, working for Disney, what that's meant for him,
and also working again on so many of these queer
and representative projects that Disney has been pushing out, so
I'm so excited for you to hear this interview.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Let's bring him in Jahiem. How are you?
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Oh, I'm fantastic. How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I'm amazing, so excited to talk to you about this.
I have to say this song has been in my
head twenty four to seven.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Thank you so much. That makes me so happy to hear.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I was like, I don't know if you're overhearing that,
because I feel like that's how most of the internet
is to me.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
I could never hear it even like it is blowing
my mind seeing everybody sing this song and enjoy it
and love it as much as I do, and love
this movie as much as I do, Like it is
just so wonderful and exciting, So thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
No, I literally I saw, you know, one of those
videos where it's like someone's trying to rob me, and
this is the song I'm listening I sawna and not
not because it's so often I'm like it, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
If it goes down, I will be streaming this song,
I fear. I Oh.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Just to start out, I want to hear about your
experience with Disney, Like, what was the first d com.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
That really had you hooked on this?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Oh man, we don't talk all day. Well, let me
let me.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
High School Musical was my genesis. That was what started
it all for me. Oh it was my personality. I
was really wild and intolerable about it. You couldn't tell
me I wasn't Court and Blue.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
For some years.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
It was the only film and the only thing, the
only time in my life that I was prompted to
pick up a basketball and you know, try that. And yeah,
I really like, I didn't have a lot of friends
growing up, So those d coms were really, really, really
formative and special for me because I felt like these
(06:50):
guys were my homies growing up. You know, like I
knew that if I didn't fit anywhere else, I was
like I can get up with the wildcats, you know,
like I can be here. So they hold a very
special place in my heart. In Disney is my everything.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
So what was your go to song from High School
Musical that you were jamming in the car?
Speaker 4 (07:11):
No, okay, go to song?
Speaker 1 (07:16):
It was fabulous by Sharpey Okay was fabulous. It was
out with the old and in with the new. It
was you know, I can't play. But also I was
always a fan of a duet, So I love can
I have this dance? You wrote the music in me
Like those songs not only were everything for me, but
they taught me how to harmonize. Like it was my
(07:39):
earliest introduction to musical theater in any capacity. So when
I heard two people singing together, you know, different notes
like simple as that, I was like, what is going on?
This is wizardry, this is insane. And that was what
piqued my interest in learning more about music. And I
remember bringing a high school musical city to school to
(07:59):
my muse teacher and being like, teach me how to
do this. She was my best day of it. I
was like, teaching me how to do this. I need
to learn how to sing this song?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
What is this? And she was like that's called harmonizing day. Yeah,
we'll work on it.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
But yeah, so this is a little I feel like
this is a hot take for people like they have.
There's always a battle over what the best high school
musical is, which one has the best soundtrack?
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Where are you okay? This is a different question. The
best soundtrack. Yeah, I'm gonna say for me, a high
school musical two might have the best soundtrack. To me
(08:43):
because we gotta get up for work, this out and
bed on it and like you are the music in me.
But three, three and two are like this for me
because like I want it all alone. Could really take
the you know, complicated question. But I think my heart
is with two because I had a strange experience with
(09:05):
high school musical.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
It became my everything.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
But I actually saw the second movie first and then
went back and so that one really had a chokecote
on me.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
So I'm gonna say.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Number two okay, Okay, I won't hold it against you, don't.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Worry well, like real quick, what about you? What sounds trick?
Are you taking three? Okay? And I won't fight you
on that because.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
You know, it's really like for me, it's like Scream
versus bet on it, and I just really love Scream.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
All right, wait, because getting ready for the night of
Nights to night. Okay, I'm tire. That's brilliant, And I
won't argue with you. I think we're both right, right,
That's what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Like I was, like I'm hearing you, like my thoughts
are different, but also like I agree with yours.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
So yeah, it's hard, it's really it's difficult.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
So going off of that, you went and wrote songs
for our high school musical this series right, yes, yes,
how did that come to be?
Speaker 3 (10:02):
How did that dream come true? Happen?
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Man? Like? Dream come true?
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Is the is the theme of this era of life.
I'm telling you that song name is so fitting. That
was so magical and wild and full circle. I you know,
was kind of introduced to Disney, you know, in a
professional way through an original musical that I have been
writing for many years that mister Kenny Ortega is developing
(10:30):
alongside us.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
I can tell you that story too, but we'll be
here all day.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
He's my really my hero growing up, and I very
much manifested him into my life in orbit, like on paper.
I have the receipts from when I was eight years old,
like it was really serious because those movies were everything
to me. So that is kind of how I came
into the land of Disney and this high school musical
opportunity showed up and me and my bestie wrote that
(10:56):
one together, and.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
I on sleep.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Sometimes forget that it's like real, you know, like that
that's a real extension of the high school musical universe
that I got to contribute to like it's wild and
it was such a special song too, And they had
built such a wonderful love story between Joe and Frankie
on that show, and to get to, you know, even
touch that a little bit was just so exciting.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
I'm very grateful for that and still trying.
Speaker 1 (11:29):
To wrap my head around the fact that it happened
in real life.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Yeah, it's also monumental because you know, their relationship in
the show was so great for queer representation, especially within
the Disney franchise. So how did it feel being a
part of that?
Speaker 1 (11:48):
That just made it all the more, Like, it just
made it so much more magical. I know what it
would have meant to me, I know, you know, like
it's just so special and wonderful that we get to
tell these stories and that I get to be a
part of bringing them to life, and that High School
Musical has always been like this has always given me
(12:11):
the space to see you know, I've always been able
to see myself. I've always been able to watch, sit down,
WATCHHGH School Musical and be like I belonged there wherever
that's happening. So, you know, as time goes on and
we get even more expansive, and it's just like it's
just so beautiful and gorgeous. I I don't have the words.
I'm stuttering right now because I'm really speechless and so
(12:31):
happy and grateful to Tim Feederly for writing such a
beautiful love story and putting it out in the world,
and obviously to Disney for making me get accessible for
millions of children around the world that I know it
means so much too, because I am one of them.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
You know. With Zombies four and with the song Dream
Come True, a lot of people have been bringing up
that it's bringing back this like Disney Channel nossalgia that
we've been missing. So what was your like game plan
going into this song? Like, what were you really wanting
to bring.
Speaker 4 (13:18):
To the table? Well, that was mission one.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I was like, if this was my joint and this
was my new couple on a Disney Channel original movie,
how would I like it to sound? You know, like,
I was so huge on that at eight years old,
nine years old, ten years old. It did lasted forever.
I'm still in my Disney Disney Channel included era. I
love it all, but you know, I was hoping that
it would be nostalgic that's what I had to pull from,
(13:44):
you know. I immediately went back and watched all of
Troy and Gabriella's duets, and watched all of Mitchie and Shane,
and watched all the you know, like every single Disney
couple that I could think of in my mind, I
was like, what made it so magical and romantic and wonderful?
And then also I think that musically you can feel
(14:07):
and hear a lot of my influences in this song.
I think it's very you know, it's no secret that
I grew up in the two thousands if you really
dissect the production, and yeah, I'm so glad that people
are able to recognize that part is wild to me too,
that people are not only resonating with the story and
(14:28):
with the characters, but I'm getting so many sweet messages
about like I see you with the production in this
nod right here, you know, with this with this part,
like people are breaking it down in a way I
never imagined, and it's resonating in a number of ways
that are kind of unexpected and beautiful. So I'm really
hype about that and amazed by that.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Yeah, and I feel like we all have been really
craving that nostalgia recently. So when you went back and
you looked into all of these songs that meant so
much to us in our childhood, like, what did you
find that you really wanted to pull into this?
Speaker 1 (15:04):
You know, I think there was just kind of this
I don't know what the word I'm searching for is,
but something about all of those relationships was just so
it was so honest and it was so pure, and
(15:27):
I like literally sat down and journaled as these characters
for a moment and was just like, you know, because
the story was already so gorgeous, So more than like
trying to be like how can I make this Gabriella
and Troy, it was really trying to discover and find
out who Victor and Nova were.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
You know, I had never seen them before.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
I didn't I didn't even have a face to put
to them at the moment yet, So it was just
kind of trying to understand where they come from. And
you know, I sound like a broken record, but like
it really is so beautiful that story of two people
from completely different worlds being told here's what we do,
(16:09):
and here's what we hate, and here's what we love
and here's blah blah blah blah blah, and meeting somebody
who believes what you believe and sees you and doesn't
judge you and doesn't want to fight you.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
Like, that's just so gorgeous in itself.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
And I think the honesty and the understanding of who
these two people are informed the way that it should sound,
and what they should be saying to one another. And
I guess it just kind of manifested in this magical
way that was nodding at Old Disney Channel. It was
on purpose, on accident, on purpose, on accident, on purpose,
(16:44):
you know.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
Yeah, And you're already creating such a name for yourself
and you're just getting started. But and it sounds like
you have more projects coming. So I just want to
ask a little bit about what you are hoping to
bring to Disney in the future.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Man.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
I am hoping to get to contribute to the Mouse
in any capacity for the rest of my life or
as long as I am able. I really hope more
than anything that I get to contribute to stories that
resonate with people the way that Victor and Nova and
(17:25):
Sevin Carlos did. Like I I knew what it was
for me to feel like I was seeing myself on
the screen. And that's all that I hope to give
to some other kid, you know. And I hope that
I can contribute more bops for them to perform for
their families at Sunday dinner. And by the way, I
have to detour for one second to say that this
(17:47):
morning I saw an incredible video of like a whole family.
Speaker 4 (17:51):
The kid comes in the middle of for me and goes,
all right, everybody get ready for the show.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Here we go, and Victor and Nova come out into
the living room and perform Dream Come True. They got
the cousins involved the playing the pillars. Okay, they're not
even moving, they're not speaking tracks, Okay, they're just standing there.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
They're peeking around them.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
And I was like, this was so me forcing my
family to watch me perform every number from the high
School musical franchise, Like, it's just so wild to see
that happening again. And yeah, I can contribute to that
in any way for the rest of my career. This
is the most magical version of it. I would just
love to be a part of fueling more moments like that,
(18:30):
because you know, those are core memories I'll never forget
performing those songs with my cousins for my family and
begging for the sleepover. And it's just so crazy that
the song that was born in them my bedroom gets
to be the soundtrack to that moment for some other kid.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Yeah, that's so that's so cute.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
Oh my god, I bet your dam's are just flooded
with so much beautiful messages like that.
Speaker 4 (18:53):
It is really beautiful. Yeah, I'm so grateful. I'm amos.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I'm so grateful, and I can cry about it all
the time, but you know, I've been very fortunate to
get to speak to people directly and hear their experience
with the song, and it is just so gorgeous.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
I'm really grateful.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Even just talking about you know, you pulling those inspirations
and everyone just feeling really back in their roots. I
remembered that when there was like the time where their
faces were brought up on like the little close ups
in the movie, and it gave me exact like camp rock,
and I was like, I feel at home. Yeah, Sean,
(19:31):
I feel safe.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Yes, this is familiar. There is something in the film
that is just so like home and familiar. It is
really nostalgic. In that way, and that's so cool for
a number of reasons, seeing it happen for Freya and
Malachi in the way that I watched it happen for
Milo and Meg, who I like literally grew up with,
(19:54):
so like seeing the world love them in the way
that I loved Gabriella.
Speaker 4 (19:58):
And Troy and Mitchie.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
Like it's just it's so gorgeous, you know, and people
will always latch to this, you know, Like I'm so
grateful that Disney is making musicals and keeping it alive
for the kids, because you got to get the kids taste,
you know what I'm saying. Like, it's so it was
so valuable to me to be able to wake up
and rewatch my favorite music song and dance musical and
(20:22):
feel like I belong to somewhere.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Like it is just so it's so simple, but it's.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
So important, and I'm really glad that Disney is keeping
it alive and that I get.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
To contribute absolutely. I mean, and with zombies too, it's
I love that the messaging is really about accepting everyone,
you know, because it's like you said, it's like we're
seeing ourselves on screen, but also they're really just outwardly
saying it, which is so wonderful to see in Disney
and for you know, the youth growing up now to
see wonderful. Is there anything else you want to say
(20:53):
before we wrap up?
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yes, I'm just that I'm so grateful to be a
part of this wonderful, magical franchise. And if you love
all things Disney and fun, you should go watch The
Zombies four Donald the Vampires quick because if you haven't
seen it yet, you are missing out.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Let me tell you.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
It is thrilling, it is magical, and as we've said
a million times on this little chat right here, it
is so nostalgic of everything that we loved about the
dcom growing up. So I am excited for people to
watch it. And whoever's watching this right now, like when
you turn this off, go turn the movie on on
(21:29):
Disney Plus.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
How can you not, or at least go stream Dream
Come true?
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Dream come True at the very least. Yeah, love Spotify
and give a dream. Yeah That's what.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
I'll be doing. Well, thank you so much. It was
so nice chatting with you.
Speaker 4 (21:44):
It was so nice chatting with you as well.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
Thank you so much for watching. I still can't believe
all that he has accomplished in such a short amount
of time, and I truly can can't wait to see
what he creates going forward.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
It really shows that if you do have a dream.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
Just chase it, because I don't think I mean, he
has said that he didn't think eight year old him
would ever be writing songs for Disney at this level,
and he's just creating these out of his bedroom and
now it's in these amazing Disney projects. So truly, if
you have a dream, they can come true. If that's
one thing to take away from all of this, And
(22:27):
definitely keep watching Disney movies.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
They still exist.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
I didn't know where what the children are watching nowadays
on Disney Channel, but they're still there and there's still
amazing projects that you can take a look at if
you're feeling the need for nostalgia. Definitely check out Jahim
Toombs and Yeah, and watch Pride wherever you listen and
watch podcasts. Find us on social media at Pride and
(22:52):
I'll see you next week.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Do you get to give him
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