Music That Fireworks Can Dance to

Although it’s the fantastically hued explosions in the sky that spring immediately to mind when you think of the Fourth of July, the show itself is built atop a framework of music. The choreography of the pyrotechnics cannot begin until the playlist is settled — just like ballerinas, fireworks need something to dance to. Choosing the right musical lineup each year is one of the most crucial steps in the process of putting together Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks, and this year fans from all over the country helped determine the playlist.

“From year to year our biggest question is, ‘What is America going to want to hear on the Fourth of July?’” says Wesley Whatley, creative director for Macy's Fireworks. “How are we going to speak to them? How are we going to inspire? We start immediately preparing for f next year after each show because we always want to come up with the best mix possible.”

The program always includes a mix of classic American songs, newer pop hits and patriotic tunes, like “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America,” A and this year is no different in that regard. This time around, though, the public was invited to weigh in on the songs by voting for their favorites on Facebook.

“We realized that we had never asked the audience before,” says Whatley. “It’s always a just been our best guesses. So, I went on Facebook and posed a question to a couple of friends — what is your favorite song for Fourth of July? I’m from Georgia, and a number of friends from there chose country songs that I wouldn’t w have necessarily thought of. That’s what we were after — diverse points of view.”

After Whatley’s Facebook experiment, m his team came up with a list of 50 songs (see on page 7) spanning a wide range of musical genres and performers, e including pop hits, orchestral arrangements, rock songs from the ’80s (“We ( quickly noticed that there’s a very American, A very patriotic sound to a lot of songs from the ’80s ,” says Whatley) and Americana classics from groups like the Andrews Sisters and singers like Pete Seeger. Then, Whatley explains, “We invited America to come onto our Facebook page and vote.”

He and his team took the most popular songs and crafted a final list, balancing upbeat pop tunes with more dramatic and emotional numbers as well as patriotic t favorites. That Macy’s mix, which they’ve perfected over the years, makes for a dynamic show, and it also speaks to a wide range of viewers. “I want to make sure s my grandmother in Alabama feels connected to the score and what she sees on television,” says Whatley. “It’s a diverse selection that comes together to tell the story, from high-energy pop to those ballads that remind us why we love our beautiful country.”

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was the one o song that they knew from the start would w be included in the playlist — because it’s an annual tradition and because Whatley had special plans for our national n anthem.

Asking Americans to vote on favorite songs was just step one of Macy’s crowdsourced fireworks score; the next step was to ask singers to send in videos of themselves performing “The Star-spangled Banner” in order to audition for a chance to record a version for the fireworks show. “We thought, ‘We’ve had celebrities, stars of the stage and screen, sing the national anthem for the show — why not give an up-and-coming singer an opportunity to inspire the country?’” says Whatley.

Thousands of people took videos of themselves singing the anthem, including professional musicians, acappella groups, students and members of the armed services, and then posted them to Macy’s Facebook page. The Facebook-savvy public voted on their favorites and then Whatley and his team took the top 10 and picked a winner. “It was great fun,” he says. That winner, Kory Leigh Glattman (read a profile of Glattman on page 7), recorded a special version of the anthem, just for this year’s show, which will usher in the grand finale.

Glattman, 23, a New Jersey native, has performed the national anthem at Madison Square Garden at Knicks games, but never a version crafted to pair precisely with a fireworks display. “It’s going to match visually in an exciting way,” she says.

So what’s on the playlist? What are those fireworks dancing to, come July 4? Glattman is in good company. “America” by Neil Diamond, “Holiday” by Madonna and “One Moment in Time” by Whitney Houston all made the cut. “We started the selection process right after Whitney’s death,” says Whatley. “‘One Moment in Time’ was already on list for the top 50 songs. She’s just an iconic American artist — so emotional and exciting. This was also an Olympic song [in the 1988 games] so it all makes a ton of sense.”

The live telecast of the fireworks show, which begins at 9 p.m. on NBC, will also feature Katy Perry performing from Brooklyn, with lower Manhattan as a backdrop, and Kenny Chesney performing in front of the Empire State Building.

And as for Whatley? Which patriotic tune does he find most emotionally riveting? “Maybe it’s because I’m from the South, but ‘God Bless the U.S.A.,’” he says. Whatley’s elementary school principal would play the song, which was sung by Lee Greenwood for the fireworks this year, for the entire school every day. “It really brings back childhood. Every time I listen, it makes me think immediately of home.”