Stories of Experience
The most memorable moments of a career
(September 2026)
America Celebrates
(August 2026)
Throughout my years in Entertainment Leadership, I have had the privilege of being a part of more than 1,000 projects. I have played a part in entertaining 50+ million guests. I have played major parts in huge fireworks shows, massive parades, cherished annual traditions and grand one-off celebrations. I have worked with multi-million-dollar budgets, emerging technologies and with globally recognized celebrities.
I think back and remember moments like that time we first shot pyro from the roof of a MASSIVE brand new building. That time we first drove a 25 ft tall trampoline down a midway while acrobats were doing flips. Pushing “go” and seeing 34 foggers fire at the same time. Staring in awe the first time we turned a 300 ft tall video tree on. Changing the course of entertainment for the company while microwaving a frozen TV dinner. Hearing the crowd’s emotional approval as we validated the sense of nostalgia they were struggling to put into words.
Sure, those moments are memorable, but they’re not the moments I remember the most……. Those moments come from a different place.
Every time I open a social media account, check my messages or read industry news, I am reminded of them.
They’re everywhere. They’re inescapable. They’re woven into the very fabric of my daily life.
One of the greatest gifts of working on over 1,000 projects is that you get to cross paths with 10,000 people. And, for a brief moment in time, you have the opportunity to help those people along on their journey.
Sometimes it’s in small ways..... A smile. A word of encouragement.
Sometimes it’s in huge ways..... A shift of perspective leading to personal clarity. A piece of career advice that leads to successful career move.
I would like to think that even small interactions can help someone along the way toward their best possible selves. The reward is sometimes forming friendships and getting a front row seat to a person's success:
- I have had the privilege to help future mega-entertainment CEOs land their company's first major theme park contracts.
- I have had the privilege of watching former associates go on to run nationally televised mega-events.
- I have had the privilege of seeing the moment colleagues realize lifelong dreams.
- I have had the privilege of seeing artists develop their crafts and learn new skills they never thought possible.
- I have had the privilege of seeing former associates leave the arts and become successful lawyers, nurses and teachers.
- I have had the honor of seeing several budding relationships grow and become families years later.
- I have been blessed to be able to see kids from these families grow up and embark on their own journeys in the arts.
These are the memorable moments that stick with me. They motivate me. These are the reasons I do what I do.
I heard someone once say; “it’s showbusiness, not show-friends”. I beg to disagree.
Sure there are times when tough business decisions need to be made, but I will always remember the people long after I have forgotten the project.
Ask yourself; "what can you do today for one of your colleagues that could become the most memorable moment of your career?"
When a client needed content coordination for multiple America 250 fireworks shows, RRE answered the call.
The client had commissioned a singular original musical arrangement that was to be the centerpiece of their fireworks shows but due to variables in show lengths, location names and sponsorships, they were going to need 15 unique soundtracks. Each of these would need to be centered around different edits of the same musical composition.
RRE got to work. It began coordinating with the music producer to ensure that each arrangement fit the show length and emotional arc required for each location. Once the base music tracks were created, we distributed these tracks to the various pyrotechnic companies that would be presenting shows at each property.
These companies then set to work and began the process of “scripting” the show. This is the process by which a designer meticolusly choreographs the pyrotechnics to the music by computer.
While the pyrotechnic companies were busy scripting, RRE got to work on the details that made each show unique. It took the base script and story arc supplied by the client and adapted it for each show's unique needs. Next, RRE created and then overlayed custom voice-overs. Then, RRE worked with the client to select and insert preshow and post-show music.
The result was a series of 15 custom master-tracks. One track for each unique variation of show. While some properties would share the same single variant, other properties used different variants on different nights of the celebration.
RRE then set about to coordinate various timecode protocols between the properties and the pyrotechnic companies. These protocols form the heartbeat of pyromusical synchronization and measure time in fractions of seconds. Since each property and pyrotechnic company uses a different combination of devices and protocols, attention to detail is paramount. This process is at the heart of what we do.
Finally, tracks and timecode systems were put together, tested and readied for show nights.
The final result……..34 total performances and hundreds of thousands of happy spectators, who witnessed a spectacular fireworks show, were moved by America's song and shared in a collective experience that they will remember for years to come.
Connect with us today and let’s discuss how we can help take your next Independence Day adventure to a whole new level!