Hello everyone - I'm sorry, but I'm back! 😜

I have been totally unable to spend any time with one of my most beloved hobbies and interests - RCT3 due to a big project I have been working on for the past 6 months or so.

We're now in the phase where my work is all but done, and I have now oodles of time until my input is needed again around October. Something really interesting happened last month, when I was talking during a lunch with one of my colleagues, who I only met during this project, and we started to talk about games, gaming and especially game music, when we just by chance discovered we love the same games and we share really similar taste in music. While we were discussing our favorite games and favorite game music, we started to talk about RCT3's fireworks and capabilities to build a practically complete light/laser/fireworks show in way, that some of the commercial fireworks software are unable to replicate. And we soon started to talk in-depth about the whole audiovisual aspect of the fireworks- laser-light show elements. and we then started to watch some YouTube RCT3 light show videos I personally thought were truly magnificent, (most of which were created by people frequenting these hallowed halls! 😉) - Then he said something, that I had thought about but not made anything really about it at that time: He mentioned something along the lines, that "if you are really talented creating a complete and really interesting event of fireworks with all light and sound effects, why wouldn't you pay more attention to what it SOUNDS like?) - I've been mulling about this for some time, and I quite agree. So we started together to build some lists about the music we think was wayyyyyyyyy overused and then pitched in ideas about music which would really suite fireworks/laser/light show. And this is what we came up with: Please, try not to take this in any way personally or take any of this as an insult, because it really is not meant as such. Naturally you don't have to agree with any of this, but I would love some intelligent conversation to follow this topic: Music in RCT3. Please share your thoughts and maybe make your own list! Go crazy! 🥳

TOP 20 CLASSICAL MUSIC MORE OR LESS OFTEN USED IN FIREWORKS/LASER/LIGHT/PYRO SHOWS

(Or, in another words: Excessively overused classical music clichés)

• George Frideric Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks in D major (HWV 351)

• Edward Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1

• Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra

• Richard Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries

• George Frideric Handel: Solomon: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (HWV 67)

• W.A. Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro: Overture (KV 492)

• Ludvig Van Beethoven: Ode To Joy (The final movement from Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125)

• Johann Strauss II: An der schönen blauen Donau (The Blue Danube)

• Clément Delibes: Lakmé: "Duo des Fleurs"

• Carl Orff: Carmina Burana: "O Fortuna"

• Edvard Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite I, Op. 46: Morning Mood

• Jean Sibelius: Op. 26 "Finlandia"

• Antonio Vivaldi: Four Seasons (RV 269, 315, 293 + 297)

• Johann Strauss: Radetzky March

• Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria in Excelsis (RV 589)

• Dmitry Shostakovich: Suite for Variety Orchestra No. 1: Waltz No. 2

• J.S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565)

• Johannes Brahms: Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor

• J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046–1051)

• Ennio Morricone: C'era una volta il West (Titoli)

TRAVELLER'S CHOICE, FOR MORE UNIQUE, LESS OFTEN OR HARDLY EVER USED CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SUGGESTIONS FOR FIREWORKS/LASER/LIGHT/PYRO SHOWS

(Or, in another words: Use your own imagination, and do everything you can to avoid the worst clichés and unimaginative music choices!)

Most of my suggestions have some common factors:

A) Catchy, slightly gimmicky melody and/or rhythm - high potential for an "ear worm".

B) Distinct rhythm and heavy use of bass. (Music which suits both the rhythm and the style of the experience desired.)

C) Part containing a striking crescendo, often with purposely exaggerated theatrical effects.

+ for many of these, various playful, satirical, tongue-in-cheek elements.

• Loreen: Euphoria (Original Version

• Dario G: Carnaval de Paris (Radio Mix)

• Ellie Goulding: Atlantis

• VNV Nation: Nova (Original album version)

• Mike Oldfield feat. Carl Palmer: Ready Mix

• Hans Zimmer: Chevaliers de Sangreal (From "The DaVinci Code")

• Tiësto: Adagio for Strings (Original "Just Be" version)

• Jean-Michel Jarre: Calypso (Part 2) (From 1:25 to 3:50 on album "Waiting for Cousteau")

• Alphaville: Fantastic Dream

• Kitarō: Matsuri ("Kojiki" album version) (SPECIAL NOTE: The complexity of this composition has endless possibilities for an imaginative artist)

• Hipnosis: Windland

• Vangelis: Alpha

• Ultravox: Visions in Blue

• Mike Oldfield feat. Barry Palmer & Simon Phillips: Saved by a Bell

• Band of Horses: The Funeral

• Vangelis: Chariots of Fire (Main Title)

• Mike Oldfield: Romance

• The Weeknd: Blinding Lights

• Bonnie Tyler: Total Eclipse of the Heart (Original album version)

• Eno/Moebius/Roedelius/Plank: Conditionierer

• Sparks: The Number One Song in Heaven

• Vampire Weekend: Worship You (SPECIAL NOTE: This song is a fireworks on its own right! I'd love to see what a truly talented fireworks artist would create around this!)

So... what do you think? 😬

Edited August 12Aug 12 by Traveller
improving visual appearance into more "readable" form.

I do think a lot of music choices come down to personal tastes. For example, I tend use movie orchestral music and Disney firework show soundtracks. I will say, I'm glad to see that I have not used anything from your overused list, haha. I usually stay away from rock/pop stuff because I always have a hard time maintaining the energy of the music without it looking repetitive. There are other show creators that definitely excel in that over me 😅

On 6/25/2025 at 9:13 AM, Bookworm91 said:

I do think a lot of music choices come down to personal tastes. For example, I tend use movie orchestral music and Disney firework show soundtracks. I will say, I'm glad to see that I have not used anything from your overused list, haha. I usually stay away from rock/pop stuff because I always have a hard time maintaining the energy of the music without it looking repetitive. There are other show creators that definitely excel in that over me 😅

You're on to a point there! While choice of music, and taste is of course very personal - but I know from past experience, that when you're creating something you want to showcase publicly, and for other people to experience, and hopefully enjoy, I think that there are some things that it would be good think about a bit deeper, when creating anything meant to entertain others. I mean... seriously... If a creator chooses the music for his/hers latest super-duper-fancy laser light fireworks extravaganza.... just HOW unimaginative you have to be - if your choice of music would be Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks" (I mean nothing could more a cliché than that! 😁) - I mean.. Like I said, I have seen few quite astonishingly superb firework displays created with RCT3, and many with perfect music choices. The worst thing is falling for clichés! As a good example of a really good fireworks show, I saw one made by Kablary, with really outside the box, left-field thinking regarding music, which fit both the rhythm, look and feel of that particular show ... (can't remember now the name, of course...)

-However... even when a music would be overused, clichéd and "unimaginative" - there would still be the right time, right place to use a "cliché" - as an example, Finland celebrated its 100th year of independence in 2017, and just about every real life fireworks-light-laser show I saw that year, used one form or the other of Sibelius's "Finlandia", which I think was perfect for THOSE occasions - but put this purposely pompous, theatrical music piece in a show themed Looney Tunes Wacky Wabbit thingie - you're doomed to fail! 😎

Although... just think of Disney's classic "Fantasia" - which was originally made to bring the most famous (and clichéd) classical music to a broader awareness (for Americans... that is.) And yet, every scene and piece of music fits the animation and all themes drawn to fit the theme.

And I hear what you''re saying about pop music. I quite agree, and yet the reason why I selected my 24 pieces as an example, is that all or most of them have some features or stylistic elements in them, which makes me think they are perfect as soundtrack for anything - not least because many of them HAVE been used in films or TV series! However.. I agree that some pop music can become way too overused: as a very good example would be Phil Collins's "In the Air Tonight". It's sooooooooo overused, that it is now a pop culture reference for a gag or a joke. - and all that for one accidental (but great!) drum fill-in! 😏

Well.. I thought I would have got at least some furious, angry comments from people really into fireworks... but I guess not. So trying to provoke some enthusiasm, here are a "few" more of MY music ideas: for more broader context within RCT3 universe:

Yes.. there are quite a few clichés among these, but I think most of them would still work for the purpose intended... 🥳

...And, in case you are even remotely interested, all of these can be found on YouTube®

QUEUE MUSIC FOR COASTERS AND OTHER RIDES:

MUSIC BY TEMPO: (please allow some latitude with this, because time signatures in this context are more perceptual, than placing an accurate, precise value on these.)

FAST TEMPO

• Amateras: Galaxy Dance

• Andrea Decibel: F.L.Y. (Extended Remix)

• Italover: Czarownica

• Prodomo: Firewall

• E-Type: Eurofighter

• Pat Benatar: Shadows of the Night

• Roberto Lee: One More Time (BCR Extended Vocal Remix)

• Amateras: Galaxy 21

• Synth Void: Intergalactic Love

• Italover: Anna

MID TEMPO

• Chubby Checker: Let's Twist Again

• Maxnickel: Night'er

• Nórdika: Oblivion

• Ricky King: Halé, Hey Louise

• Al Hirt: Cotton Candy

• Los Fabulosos Cadillacs: Matador

• Italover: Candy Disco

• Iggy Pop: The Passenger

• Talking Heads: Road To Nowhere

• ABBA: Eagle

SLOW(ish) TEMPO

• D/A/D: Sky High

• E-Type: Princess of Egypt

• Inner Circle: Games People Play

• Jean-Michel Jarre: Magnetic Fields Part 5 (The Last Rhumba)

• Robert Palmer: Addicted to Love

• Bryan Ferry: New Town

• Bucks Fizz: Heart of Stone

• Stephan Remmler: I Don't Go To USA (Keine Sterne in Athen)

• BZN: Wheels On Fire

• The Men They Couldn't Hang: Island in the Rain

"SPECIALIZED" MUSIC

ELEVATOR MUSIC

• Percy Faith and His Orchestra: Theme From Summer Place

• James Last feat. Georghe Zamfir: The Lonely Shepherd (der einsame hirte)

• Acker Bilk: Stranger On The Shore

• James Last: Endless Journey

• Perry Como: Magic Moments

• Janko Nilovic: The Black Horse

• The Shadows: Cavatina (Theme from "Deer Hunter")

• Daniel Sentacruz Ensemble: Soleado

• William Orbit: Adagio For Strings

• Software: Blue Planet

RACING COASTERS

• Modern Talking: Win The Race

• Tina Turner: The Best

• Europe: The Final Countdown

• Joe "Bean" Esposito: You're The Best (Around)

• Yello: The Race

• Bee Gees: You Win Again

• Tenpole Tudor: Swords of a Thousand Men

• Bonnie Tyler: Holding Out for a Hero

• Modern Talking: Ready For The Victory

• Lalo Schifrin: Theme from "Mission Impossible"

• ABBA: The Winner Takes It All

ZOO/ANIMAL CLOSURES/SAFARI

• Billy Vaughn and His Orchestra: A Swingin' Safari

• The Tokens: The Lion Sleeps Tonight

• Alain Morisod: Et les oiseaux chantaient (Und die Vögel sangen)

• Jerry Bird: Theme from Adventures in Paradise

• Bo Diddley: Africa Speaks

• Hans Zimmer: Zoosters Breakout (From "Madagascar")

• Henry Mancini and His Orchestra: Theme from "Pink Panther"

• Albatross: Africa

• Vangelis: Conquest of Paradise (Main Theme from "1492: Conquest of Paradise")

• Henry Mancini and His Orchestra: Baby Elephant Walk (From "Hatari!")

CIRCUS

• Boots Randolph: Yakety Sax!

• Gogol Bordello: Start Wearing Purple

FUN HOUSE

• Spike Jones and His City Slickers: The Jones Laughing Record

• Napoleon XIV: They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!

WATER RIDES, FLUMES, etc.

• Bad Manners: Armchair Disco

• Rolling Stones: Sweet Virginia

• Jan Hammer: Boat Party

• The Woodies: Diamonds

• The Village Stompers: Washington Square

• Bob Dylan: Things Have Changed

• OMD: Sailing On The Seven Seas

• Harry Belafonte: Banana Boat (Day-O)

• Mike Oldfield feat. Luke Spiller: Sailing

• The Ventures: Red River Rock

• Bob Dylan: Like A Rolling Stone

• Vance Joy: Riptide

• James: Sit Down

• The Hooters: Satellite

• Alarm: Rivers To Cross

• Karen Rix & Sideway Look: Hungry Waters (Unexpurgated Version)

• Bruce Springsteen: Eyes On The Prize (from "The Seeger Sessions")

• The Kingsmen: Louie Louie (and.. it IS a sea shanty! ;-)

• The Men They Couldn't Hang: Smugglers

• Styx: Boat On The River

MUSIC BY THEME/ATHMOSPHERE

GENERIC HAPPY / CHEERFUL / BUBBLEGUM POP / NOVELTY MUSIC

• Mr. President: Coco Jamboo

• Eiffel 65: Blue (Da Ba Dee) [DJ Ponte Radio Edit]

• Carrapicho: Tic, Tic Tac

• Showaddywaddy: Ally-Oop

• Michael B. Tretow: Hubba Hubba Zoot Zoot

• Vanessa: Upside Down (Dizzy Does it Make Me)

• Kid Creole and The Coconuts: If You Wanna Be Happy

• G'Race: Manhattan

• The Other Ones: Holiday

• The Mavericks: Dance The Night Away

• Lindsey Buckingham: Holiday Road

• Black Lace: Hokey Cokey

• The Clash: Bankrobber

• Trio: Hearts Are Trump (Herz ist Trumpf)

• Linda de Suza: Une fille de tous les pays

• The Wurzels: The Combine Harvester (Brand New Key)

• The Mixtures: The Pushbike Song

• Bobby McFerrin: Don't Worry, Be Happy

• The Scaffold: Lily The Pink

• Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs: Wooly Bully

• Denise LaSalle: (Don't Mess with) My Toot Toot

• The Surfmen: Surfin' Bird (You can thank Seth McFarlane for ruining this song! ;-)

• The Folk Crusaders: Kaette kita yopparai (I Only Live Twice)

• Joe Hisaishi: A Message Left in Lipstick (From "Kiki's Delivery Service")

• Sandie Shaw: Puppet On A String

• Taco: Lassiter's Theme - Beware of the Winners

SPOOKY/HALLOWEEN

• John Carpenter: Christine Attacks (From "Christine")

• Giorgio Moroder: Night Rabbit (From "Cat People")

• The Hypno-Twists: Zombie Maker

• Robert Holmes: Awaking the Asmodeus (From "Gabriel Knight 3")

• Jocelyn Pook: Masked Ball (From "Eyes Wide Shut")

• John Carpenter: Theme from "Halloween"

• Citizens of Halloween: This Is Halloween (From "The Nightmare Before Christmas")

• Mr.Kitty: After Dark

• Moby: Ghost Return (Ambient Version)

• Robert Euvino: Stronghold_Chantloop (Menu music loop from "Stronghold")

• Kraftwerk: Metall auf Metall (From "Trans-Europa Express")

• John Carpenter: Assault on Precinct 13

• Japan: Nightporter

• Merv Griffin: House of Horrors

• Mike Oldfield: Tubular Bells (Excerpt)

• Enigma: Dancing with Mephisto

• Klaus Badelt: Lost (From "Equilibrium")

• J. Ralph: Chess Match (From "Lucky Number Slevin")

• Marc Streitenfeld: Max-a-Million (From "A Good Year")

• Fabio Frizzi: Ghost at the Piano (From "The Beyond")

• London After Midnight: Hate!

PARADISE ISLAND / JUNGLE / POOLS

• 101 Strings Orchestra: Aloha Oe

• The Ventures: Adventures in Paradise

• Hans Zimmer: You're So Cool (From "True Romance")

• Dire Straits: Twisting by the Pool

• The Beach Boys: Kokomo

• Vengaboys: We're Going To Ibiza

• Mungo Jerry: In the Summertime

• Bonnie Tyler: It's a Jungle Out There

• Laid Back: Sunshine Reggae

• Inner Circle: Games People Play

• Roy Orbison: California Blue

• Johannes Linstead: Echoes of the Forest I

• Goombay Dance Band: We'll Ride The Wave Together

• James Last: Biscay

• Michael Land: The Monkey Island Theme

• Peter, Sue & Marc: Birds of Paradise

• Brian Hyland: Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini

• Preston Smith: Oh, I Love You So

• Goombay Dance Band: Paradise of Joy

• Black Lace: Agadoo

• Mikis Theodorakis: The Boat at the Seashore

UNDERWATER RIDES / AQUARIUMS / ETHEREAL DREAM WORLD

• Brian Eno: Deep Blue Day

• Ray Lynch: The Oh of Pleasure

• Klangwelt: Zero

• Brian Eno: An Ending (Ascent)

• Dubmood: Planetarium

• Jean-Michel Jarre: Oxygene (Part 2)

• Beach House: Space Song

• M83: Outro

• Klaus Doldinger: Das Boot (1981 Single Version)

• Isao Tomita: Air On a G-String (based on J.S. Bach's "Air")

WINTER/ALPINE

• Henry Mancini and His Orchestra: Cortina

• Matterhorn Yodelers (From Disney's Matterhorn Bobsleds)

• Robert Palmer: Change His Ways

• Cocteau Twins: Frosty The Snowman

• Henry Mancini: It Had Better Be Tonight (Instrumental version) / Fran Jeffries: Meglio stasera (Vocal version)

• Bert Kaempfert and His Orchestra: Wonderland by Night

• David Essex: A Winter's Tale

• Bill Pursell: Our Winter Love

• Anne Murray: Snowbird

• The New Seekers: Anthem (One Day in Every Week)

ADVENTURE THEMED

• The Raiders March (From "Raiders of the Lost Ark")

• The River Kwai March / Colonel Bogey (From "The Bridge of River Kwai")

• Theme from "The Great Escape"

• Daniel Pemberton: End of the Day, Slough House

• Enya: Storms in Africa II

• Peter McConnell: Bone Wagon (From "Grim Fandango")

• James Bond Theme

• Henry Mancini: Theme of Pink Panther

• Theme from "Jaws"

• Henry Mancini: Peter Gunn

WESTERN THEMED

• Bruno Nicolai: Ballata per Ringo

• Ennio Morricone: Cheyenne

• Clint Bajakian: The Outlaws Theme

• Nico Fidenco: All'ombra di una Colt

• Ennio Morricone: Per un Pugno di Dollari (Titoli)

• Ennio Morricone: Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo

• Marcello Giombini: Ballata per un Pistolero

• Riz Ortolani: I giorni dell'ira

• Di Dollari: Farewell to Cheyenne

• Clint Bajakian: The Sawmill (From "The Outlaws")

• David Byrne: Don't Fence Me In

• The Jars: Mexican Lowrider

• Nelson Riddle: Route 66 Theme

• Chingon: Mexican Sausage Link

• Ricky Nelson & Dean Martin: My Rifle, My Pony and Me (From "Rio Bravo")

• Los Twangers: Back To Sonora

• Lee Marvin: Wand'rin' Star (From "Paint Your Wagon")

• Kenny Rogers: Coward of the County

• Dwight Yoakam: 1000 Miles from Nowhere

• Desert Rose Band: One Step Forward

• Stan Ridgway: Camouflage

• Theme from "The Magnificent Seven"

• Theme from "Bonanza"

• Theme from "High Chapparal"

• Theme from "Maverick"

SCI-FI THEMED

• Brad Fiedel: Main Title from "Terminator 2"

• Glen Larson: Theme from "Battlestar Galactica" (1978)

• John Williams: Theme from "Star Wars" (1977)

• John Williams: Imperial March from "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)

• John Williams: Conversation Begins (From "Encounters of the Third Kind")

• Kebu: Dawn

• Laserdance: Hypermagic

• Tangerine Dream: One Night in Space

• Christopher Franke: War Without End (From "Babylon 5")

• Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarahustra

• Laserlight: Star Express

• Isao Tomita: Canon of the Three Stars (Pachelbel's Canon in D minor)

• Alien Nation: Pray of Life

From someone who has been building shows in RCT3 for over a decade now, you definitely pick up that "ear" for whether a song or soundtrack will work in a show or not. There are many times when there's a great idea and song that I want to do, and then I listen to it while trying to envision a show with it, and it just doesn't click or work out. I learned this the hard way with my jazz-inspired show, Speakeasy. The music had the big moments, you could envision the bursts and the choreography, but when it came time to actually put it together, you start to realize just how intense that music style is, and no matter how many effects or lasers you add, it will never match the energy of the music. The result was this way too over energetic and effects on effects on effects crazy show.

Like Bookworm said, the music used in shows really does come down to personal taste and is subjective. For some, soundtracks are their bread and butter, and other times, rock, EDM, or pop songs are what work for them. If you have an interest in this, I recommend trying out one of those songs you listed and create a show! We're always looking for more showmakers, and it is a great learning experience! Just don't do a jazz show, never again... never again...

On 7/31/2025 at 4:45 PM, wolfpaw said:

From someone who has been building shows in RCT3 for over a decade now, you definitely pick up that "ear" for whether a song or soundtrack will work in a show or not. There are many times when there's a great idea and song that I want to do, and then I listen to it while trying to envision a show with it, and it just doesn't click or work out. I learned this the hard way with my jazz-inspired show, Speakeasy. The music had the big moments, you could envision the bursts and the choreography, but when it came time to actually put it together, you start to realize just how intense that music style is, and no matter how many effects or lasers you add, it will never match the energy of the music. The result was this way too over energetic and effects on effects on effects crazy show.

Like Bookworm said, the music used in shows really does come down to personal taste and is subjective. For some, soundtracks are their bread and butter, and other times, rock, EDM, or pop songs are what work for them. If you have an interest in this, I recommend trying out one of those songs you listed and create a show! We're always looking for more showmakers, and it is a great learning experience! Just don't do a jazz show, never again... never again...

Thanks for that comment! 😀This is pretty much what I was driving at - however, when I started to really think about this thing, and especially now that I have started to experiment with RCT3 fireworks myself, and have learned how much I have missed, for not being more into this specific feature of RCT3! - There is definitely a very steep learning curve to it, as I have quickly discovered. But the main thing is that I started to question this: Do I first choose a piece of music I want to build the show around, or do I first create a show with style and theme, and then choose music... I discovered myself, that it is way easier to first select a piece of music I want to use, than trying to fit a piece of music into the show afterwards, which nearly always then calls for changes to fit the rhythm, etc. - although this is again very perceptual... 🤔

There's something else that Wolfpaw's comment reminded me regarding the problems and dilemmas rising from when you're creating a light show ( or any pre-programmed event, for that matter!)

As I mentioned in earlier post, I've started just this summer really experimenting with RCT3 fireworks and light elements - and the sheer multitude of CS stuff that is available for that purpose in 2025 is just mind blowing! It might take years just to waddle through literally thousands of firework elements out there, plus there all the lights, lasers, smoke and water effects.. And I have noticed there are often huge differences between effects, which should judging just by their name be identical, but closer examination reveals the mediocre ones from truly well made effects! (Not surprising that the same authors are most of the time behind the best ones!)

Anyhooo... I have already noticed the same problems rising easy and quickly, if and when you're trying to create a show around a music piece which has a lot of different rhythm cycles, varying tempo changes and even big and wild fluctuations with instrumentation.

So... I started to think, there has to be some way to ease this creativity process, and what I came up with is a sort a total change in way we seem to be pre-programmed to think about audio visual complexities. In my spare time, I started to read a wildly weird selection of books aimed mainly for theater and event creating professionals. Some of the books were really interesting and most ideas and methods could be just as well, and quite easily applied to RCT3, especially with all the CS that there is available for show/event creating purposes. One of the ideas I read about is, that when you're first start just to THINK about an idea for a show, it's a good idea - before you do anything else - trying to imagine what you would want it to look AND sound like, and then just hand draw basic visual ideas and outlined themes to a piece of paper - and THEN start moving forward. But this is where all the problems really start: Some of my ideas won't necessarily be possible to make happen at all - and some are doable, but with greater challenges than others. So... This is when I suddenly recalled another book I had read about stage design years ago, which suggested the idea of trying to create a template which could be expanded and changing as the design creation progresses its natural course. This has proven to be a great help for me personally, as I created a sort of reference index, which in some ways resembles a kind of a flow chart - except that each element "box" has a corresponding audio and a separate visual reference attached to it. As an example, music pieces with loud and "in-front" bass should be guide to the base rhythm, into which you can fit anything, just as long it stays within the time signature - For me personally, who is not a professional musician, a digital metronome and some DAW software has been a truly big help. (I still use for many of my audio -related projects very old, but very reliable and excellent, magnificent Propellerhead® Reason™ 5 - Only big problem is that the old v5 doesn't support VSTi, and the newer version is way too expensive for just hobbyist's needs.) I don't know why, but for me it has been even greater help, that I know quite a lot about drum machine programming (please, don't ask why! 😉) - One reason could be that I know for a fact that some truly talented real-life light show guys do use analog drum machines to trigger light effects via MIDI ports! Another idea stems from this, which is that you could easily attach in your own mind any type of a music instrument to a specific light effect or a firework. Just think of an accordion... doesn't that sound immediately bring forth the idea of a water fountain rising and falling? ...and for some bizarre reason, also immediately reminds me personally of France and especially, Cannes, Nizza, Côte d'Azur, scent of olive oil, garlic and a decent bottle, or two - never more than three - of Pinot Noir ...or maybe it's just me? 🤪

Just in case anyone should be even mildly interested, here's a list of some books, which have a lot of great ideas regarding audio-visuals, lighting, stage and sound design: (Author's name in Green, book title in Yellow)

Besides, reading a book, any kind of book, is always a good thing! (Also, most, if not all of titles below can be read for free in digital format, via services like Scribd etc.)

• Vanessa Theme Ament: The Foley Grail: The Art of Performing Sound for Film, Games, and Animation

• Peter Tregenza & David Loe: The Design of Lighting

• Mark Karlen, James R. Benya: Lighting Design Basics

• Dave Payling: Electronic Visual Music: The Elements of Audiovisual Creativity

• Nick Moran: Performance Lighting Design: How to Light for the Stage, Concerts and Live Events

• Steven Louis Shelley: A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting

• Dr. Tom Smith: Firework Displays: Explosive Entertainment - A guide to getting the most from your firework display for designers, firers and event organisers

• Michael Roberts and Richard Gonsalves: Laser F/X: The Light Show Handbook (Mark II)

• R. Craig Wolf, Dick Block: Scene Design and Stage Lighting

• Richard Dunham: Stage Lighting: The Fundamentals

• Richard Dunham: Stage Lighting: Design Applications and More

• Gareth Fry: Sound Design for the Stage

Also, just to mention few other books which should be of great interest to anyone interested in amusement parks in general:

• Nick Weisenberger: Coasters 101: An Engineer's Guide to Roller Coaster Design

• Stephen M. Silverman: The Amusement Park: 900 Years of Thrills and Spills and the Dreamers and Schemers

• Mike Fox: The Imagineers' Secrets of Disneyland

• David A. Bossert: Claude Coats - Walt Disney's Imagineer

• Jeff Baham: The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion (This book was super interesting! Highly recommended!)

And here's couple books, if you want to build for some reason as authentic looking stage structure as RCT3 with all the CSO allows:

• Alys E. Holden, Bronislaw J. Sammler, Bradley L. Powers, Steven A. Schmidt: Structural Design for the Stage

• Alan Hendricksen: Mechanical Design for the Stage