Check out The Columbus Dispatch : Soundtrack keeps the beat for Red, White & Boom!

http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/weekender/stories/2009/07/02/9_SPORTS02.ART_ART_07-02-09_T5_K9EAIVE.html?sid=101

ShareThis

Soundtrack keeps the beat for Red, White & Boom Thursday, July 2, 2009 3:00 AM By Amy Saunders THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Kyle Robertson | Dispatch The fireworks are set to music - this year, including that of AC/DC and the Jonas Brothers. Enlarge image " src="/wwwexportcontent/sites/dispatch/weekender/stories/2009/07/02/rwb02.jpg" border="0"> Enlarge image The schedule Red, White & Boom festivities will take place all day Friday, with the fireworks scheduled for 10 p.m. 10 A.M. WNCI (97.9 FM) starts broadcasting from Long Street east of Neil Avenue. 11 A.M. Vendors open on Washington Boulevard. NOON Entertainment starts at Genoa Park, as do vendor sales at Long Street Boom, and the Children's Park at Battelle Riverfront Park. 1 P.M. Long Street Boom performances begin. 3 P.M. The Taste of Boom street party opens in the Arena District, with bands, games and food. Huntington Park opens to spectators, with a concert by McGuffey Lane and Phil Dirt and the Dozers at 6 ($10). 5 P.M. WCMH-TV (Channel 4) starts broadcasting at Broad Street and Washington Boulevard. 6 P.M. The parade begins at Broad and Belle streets. 10 P.M. The fireworks start. 10:30 Entertainment resumes at various stages. More 4th fun For a list of holiday activities beyond Red, White & Boom, click here. Red, White & Boom fireworks that match the beat of Boom Boom Pow are hardly a coincidence. The musical efforts behind the highly choreographed display date from January, when Program Director Michael McCoy of WNCI (97.9 FM) began working on the 16-track playlist. Selections change each year to provide variety and to reflect the station's popular music -- such as the Black Eyed Peas single, which McCoy considers "one of the best songs ever made for fireworks." The list also boasts central Ohio favorites -- an Ohio State fight song, such as Across the Field -- and, of course, the patriotic music that salutes the holiday's existence. Lee Greenwood's God Bless the USA will return after it was excluded last year -- a decision that prompted many complaints. "That was not a good move on our part," McCoy acknowledged. "We're never going to make everybody totally happy. . . . We try to put something together that most anybody, regardless of age, can relate to." Playlist specifics will remain a secret before the 10 p.m. Friday show, but McCoy said the Jonas Brothers, AC/DC and Motown acts would be featured. Such upbeat music works best with fireworks, produced in this case by Pyrotecnico of New Castle, Pa. Upon receiving the WNCI playlist in April, the company began using a computer program to set fireworks cues with the musical selections. Pyrotecnico choreographs about 90 of its 600 Independence Day shows -- which can pose challenges. A rapid succession of fireworks set to a fast, rap-heavy playlist, for example, could exhaust a show's budget. The company was once asked to match fireworks to a song featuring barking dogs. "We didn't get super-creative with that one," general manager Christopher Mele said. But with good music, designers carefully coordinate explosions with the songs' tempos. The process requires detailed fireworks expertise, given that each product has its own timetable for bursting in air. "(Designers) try to be as creative as they can, to make sure the fireworks actually match the music," Mele said. "They treat each song like an act in a play." Red, White & Boom takes up to 30 hours to choreograph, plus a week's worth of work to pack the fireworks, he estimated. On Friday night, computer equipment will trigger the fireworks' ignition and synchronize the music on loudspeakers, broadcasting via WNCI and WCMH-TV (Channel 4). As they were last year, the fireworks will be launched from the north side of Veterans Memorial, north of the previous site at COSI Columbus. That means that some traditional viewing spots work better than others: Berliner Park and the Whittier Peninsula are no longer recommended, said Mike Collins, executive director of Red, White & Boom. Good locations include areas north of Broad Street -- such as Long and Spring streets, and Nationwide Boulevard -- and Arena District parking lots. "Those places are, by far, the best places," Collins said. Columbus police have encouraged spectators to travel in buses rather than cars because fewer officers on-site might lead to heavier traffic. Collins suggests that people not leave the show too soon: Entertainment will resume at 10:30 p.m., after the fireworks show. McCoy, like the 400,000 other people expected Downtown, won't know how the music lines up with the fireworks until the 25- minute show begins. "That's the fun part for me," he said: "watching how they paint the picture with fireworks." asaunders@dispatch.com Bus service Most local routes will have Downtown service extended until 9 p.m. One-way fare: $1.50; 75 cents for children younger than 12 and 4 feet or taller, and Senior/Key/ADA cardholders; or free for children shorter than 4 feet (limit three with an adult relative). From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., express Downtown service will be offered from these Park & Ride locations: Crosswoods (No. 31): 7460 Huntington Park Dr., near I-270 and High Street Dublin (No. 58): 4450 Dale Dr., near Rts. 33 and 161 Gahanna (No. 41): Agler and Stygler roads Grove City (No. 64): 2321 Old Stringtown Rd. Reynoldsburg (No. 45): 2100 Birchview Dr. S. Upper Arlington (No. 60): Brandon Road between Ridgeview and Zollinger roads Westerville (No. 36): W. Main Street and Collegeview Road Round-trip fare: $4; $2 for children younger than 12 and 4 feet or taller, and Senior/Key/ADA cardholders; or free for children shorter than 4 feet (limit three). Buses will leave Downtown at 10:45 and 11:30 p.m. as well as midnight from designated boarding zones. Call 614-228-1776 or visit www.cota.com. Parking Parking will be offered at nearby lots and garages. A fireworks viewing area for people with disabilities will open at the Columbia Gas portico; wheelchair seating for the parade will be provided next to City Hall on Front Street. Boating Boats will be permitted on the Scioto River but restricted between the I-670 overpass and the Main Street bridge -- with all nearby boat ramps closed. Call 614-645-3300.