If you have seen no other fireworks display other than Seattle’s, you might take for granted the stellar design and picturesque setting that the Family 4th at Lake Union offers—it is truly in a class of its own. But what also sets the Family 4th apart from other top shows in the country is the music.
Pyro Spectacular, the premier pyrotechnic company that has designed Seattle’s show for 15 years, notes that of the 400 shows they produce in a year, only one-quarter are synched to music. The Seattle show is tightly synched, custom-scored for one show only and computer controlled—this is the hard way to produce a show, but it results in a full bodied emotional experience that can only be experienced this way. And of the shows that do feature music, most rely on a “traditional” score; rarely will a city dare to mix artists such as Jimi Hendrix with patriotic standards in their Independence Day fireworks displays… but that is what makes our show “so Seattle”—quirky, fun, and displaying a whole lot of heart.
The music drives the production, and so as the music changes annually, the look of the show changes. It is never the same year to year, so the audience is experiencing a fleeting work of art.
This year Chris Porter, One Reel’s Programming Director, weaves themes of celebration, patriotism, color and gratitude together to create a dynamic musical score. Read below what Chris had to say about the inspiration behind each selection:
