CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "Dave Bush"

Dave Bush

by -
0 938
A scene from the Taylor Swift laser light show. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli

By Jennifer Donatelli

While her Eras Tour may be over, you can still experience Taylor Swift’s music in a whole new way — without shelling out thousands for tickets. In an exciting blend of music, technology and astronomy, the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Planetarium in Centerport is hosting a dazzling laser light show featuring the music of one of the biggest artists of the 21st century.

The Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, known for its innovative educational and entertainment programming, has introduced the Taylor Swift Laser Light Show, a unique fusion of astronomy and pop culture. The planetarium’s state-of-the-art dome transforms into a visual spectacle, immersing audiences in Swift’s iconic hits like “Anti-Hero,” “Fearless” and “Shake It Off.”

“This is not your average concert but a celestial experience,” said Dave Bush, director of the Vanderbilt Planetarium. The show combines intricate laser projections, animated visuals and stunning astronomy displays synchronized to Swift’s chart-topping music. Each song is carefully paired with vibrant light patterns and celestial imagery, evoking the awe of stargazing alongside Swift’s unforgettable melodies.

For Swifties and fans of immersive entertainment, this event has become a must-see. “She’s a Swiftie, and I love laser light shows,” said Matthew Verstraten, a history teacher from Middle Island who attended the show with his fiancée Angelina Shtenger.

Tara Moore, who attended with her family to celebrate her birthday, shared her excitement, saying, “I’ve followed Taylor Swift since she was 17 and playing country music. The laser show was an amazing experience filled with music, lights and excitement.” Her five-year-old son Finn added enthusiastically, “I’m a Swiftie too!”

The planetarium’s advanced projection and audio systems ensure a flawless experience, with every light beam and color shift perfectly aligned to the rhythm and emotion of the music. The show’s appeal is wide-ranging, offering something for everyone — from die-hard Swifties to families seeking an educational yet entertaining outing.

Roz Katz of Farmingdale and Jonathan Winter of Woodmere admitted they weren’t familiar with Swift’s music when they bought tickets, but after the show, they were singing “You Belong with Me” in the lobby. “It was incredible!” they said.

The Taylor Swift Laser Light Show has become one of the planetarium’s most popular offerings, drawing audiences for over a year and a half. “We thought it would be successful, but the magnitude has been unbelievable,” said Bush. “It’s a concert-like experience without the high ticket prices.”

The show, which features 12–14 tracks per performance, changes its setlist every six weeks to keep the experience fresh. Audience members often come dressed for the occasion, wearing glow-in-the-dark necklaces, heart-shaped glasses and other concert-inspired accessories.

For more information on the show and other events, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

by -
0 350
A scene from the visual immersion concert at the Vanderbilt Planetarium. Photo by Jennifer Donatelli

By Jennifer Donatelli

On November 10, as strings played, music and the cosmos united in a concert that took its audience on a journey through time and space at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Planetarium’s annual Strings Under the Stars event. 

Performing to a sold out crowd, professional musicians from Long Island Chamber Music played a program of introspective classical music, as visuals of space were projected onto a 60 foot dome.

Dave Bush, Program Director of the Planetarium, explained the dome video sequences displayed “things related to outer space.”

“[Some things shown] are stellar nurseries and explosions, paired with scenes that are slow moving, all set to music, so it’s comforting and transportive at the same time,” Bush explained.

““The music,” he went on, “is amplified by the sound system, and the visuals have been specifically picked to match the mood of all of the pieces.”

Long Island Chamber Music is a non-profit organization, founded by husband and wife team, Eric Huckins and Gergana Haralampieva. Their mission is to make professional classical music of the highest caliber accessible to Long Island audiences. 

Huckins said the artists they work with are world-class musicians from Long Island and New York City and are chosen from institutions such as Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Concert Artist Guild, among others.

“In addition to being leaders in their art form, our musicians are teaching artists, entrepreneurs, and socially-minded advocates for classical music,” Huckins explained.

Haralampieva elaborated, explaining that the immersive quality of concerts like these makes it easier for a wide range of audiences to “connect with classical music.”

Bush added that this type of show has grown in popularity through the years, and that Long Island Chamber Music consistently added new music and visuals to their performances.

Marc and Daniela Wong of Huntington, enjoyed their night out under the stars.

“We go to concerts a lot, but I have never seen or heard anything quite as spectacular as this. The music is amazing and the immersive idea is brilliant,” said Wong.

For more information on upcoming concerts and educational programs held by Long Island Chamber Music, visit their website at, www.longislandchambermusic.com. And to see upcoming events held at the Vanderbilt Museum, Mansion & Planetarium, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

by -
0 605
Erin Bennett, Planetarium Education Coordinator, and Charles Eder, Planetarium Outreach Coordinator, with the Vanderbilt's 'Moon Tree.' Photo courtesy of Vanderbilt Museum

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum is one of the first institutions on Long Island to receive a “Moon Tree” grown from seedlings that flew around the moon on NASA’s Artemis I mission in 2022, to plant in its community.

The Vanderbilt’s Moon Tree, a sweetgum, is planted in a special fenced plot near the entrance to the Vanderbilt Reichert Planetarium. 

Dave Bush, Director of the Reichert Planetarium, said, “We are thrilled to share with our visitors a piece of life that has visited our nearest celestial neighbor, the Moon. We live in exciting times for human space exploration and this tree will serve as a symbol of our growth into the cosmos and as inspiration for a new generation of explorers — The Artemis Generation.”

The unmanned Artemis I rocket traveled around the Moon and back to test new life support systems designed for future astronauts. Passengers also included nearly 2,000 seeds of five tree species — sycamore, sweetgum, Douglas fir, loblolly pine, and giant sequoia.

When the rocket returned, NASA and the U.S. Forest Service collaborated, grew the seedlings into Moon tree saplings, and offered them to schools, museums, planetariums, and other educational organizations across the country. The first batch of seedlings was shipped to nearly 50 institutions across the 48 contiguous states.

NASA evaluated institutions based on their suitability to care for the various tree species and their ability to maximize educational opportunities around the life and growth of the trees in their communities.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, “A new era of Moon trees will one day stand tall in communities across America. NASA is bringing the spirit of exploration back down to Earth because space belongs to everyone. The Artemis Generation will carry forth these seedlings that will be fertile ground for creativity, inspiration, and discovery for years to come.”

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum is located at 180 Little Neck Road in Centerport. Operating hours for the fall are Fridays from noon to 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

by -
0 226
Poseidon, Greek god of the sea/ Drawing by Vanderbilt artist Megan Gallipeau
Dave Bush. Photo by Ken Spencer

 

The Reichert Planetarium at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport is closed for now, but its astronomy educators, artists, and show producers are busy creating new programs to make it easy for parents and children to enjoy its offerings — at home.

“We are producing an array of virtual planetarium programs that we will begin posting on a YouTube channel called Reichert Planetarium’s Virtual Outreach. The first episode, titled How to Use a Telescope, is now live,” said director Dave Bush.

“Other projects will include a comic strip based on Konnie – our affectionately named planetarium star projector; a coloring book; crafts and projects targeted to family groups for home use; and educational materials for teachers to download and use with their at-home students,” he said.

Some programs will be posted on the museum’s website and on social media.

The planetarium’s Konica Minolta star projector was the inspiration for a character called “Konnie” to be featured in a comic strip that presents astronomy information in an entertaining way. 

“Konnie will become a comic strip and we’re considering turning the strips into coloring books,” said Bush.

When the planetarium reopens, visitors will see several fresh, original programs. Bush and his staff have created new program scripts for staff who operate the projector and star-ball systems through the command console in the rear of the planetarium’s William and Mollie Rogers Theater. The programs explore stars visible during the different seasons, and feature trips to the planets.

“The programs cover a wide range of subjects,” Bush explained, “including tours of habitable worlds, the history of space exploration, the solar system, the life cycle of stars, how far Earth is from the stars, and how astronomers measure that distance. Console operators are developing their own 20- and 45-minute star talks, with their personal choice of music, narration, imagery, and humor.”

Bush plans to produce virtual planetarium shows using the popular conferencing app Zoom. He is creating the shows remotely, away from the planetarium, using professional recording equipment and video-editing software.

The Reichert Planetarium staff is creating downloadable worksheets for children. “Our challenge is, what do we add to make sure kids stay interested and engaged?” Bush said. “We want to make pages that make sense visually, with fun information, games and characters.”

The team is also developing new mythology shows for both recorded and live presentations. The shows will be a series of short constellation stories from ancient civilizations around the world.

“We have talented artists on staff who can create the characters, scenery and panoramas that will be displayed on the domed projection screen of the planetarium,” Bush said. “We’ve tossed around the idea of turning Konnie into a time machine. We can imagine traveling through time in an imaginary spaceship. We can be magically transported to lands in ancient places like Greece, Rome and Stonehenge, as well as to original, imaginary landscapes. Whatever we want!”

While Bush and his colleagues produce new programs, they are also “touching up” existing educational programs for school groups. “Now we have the time to focus on what we need to do to enhance programming,” he said.

For more information, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org and select Virtual Learning.

by -
0 241
Newest show, Laser Beyoncé, premieres June 30

Summer is a great time to enjoy spectacular, laser light musical entertainment shows at the Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. The venue will bring back audience laser show favorites like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon, and will premiere its newest one-hour show, Laser Beyoncé, on Saturday, June 30, at 7 p.m.

Beyoncé, one of the most awarded and best-selling artists of all time, is acclaimed for her thrilling vocals, videos and live shows. Laser Beyoncé captures the fun and energy of the singer’s concerts in beautiful laser light imagery with some of her most popular songs including “Formation,” “Irreplaceable,” “Independent Women Part 1,” “Naughty Girl,” “Halo,” “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” “If I Were a Boy,” “Crazy in Love,” “XO,” “Single Ladies,” “Love on Top,” “Freedom,” “Survivor” and “Run the World.”

‘Our educational and entertainment programs attract a diverse audience to one of the finest planetariums in the country,” said Lance Reinheimer, executive director of the Vanderbilt Museum. Dave Bush, technical and production coordinator for the planetarium, added, “We present award-winning, world-renowned, full-dome productions, as well as live presentations with an astronomy educator that show off the amazing capabilities of our domed theater’s cutting-edge technology. The Reichert Planetarium boats the highest level of laser programming available.”

Live presentations also include Long Island Skies on Fridays at 8 p.m. and Night Sky, Live! on Saturdays at 8 p.m. The planetarium also presents shows that feature jaw-dropping journeys to the outer reaches of the solar system. The 60-foot domed theater features a Konica-Minolta star projector, full-dome video and surround sound for an exciting, immersive audience experience.

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium is located at 180 Little Neck Road in Centerport. For show schedules, visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org. For more information, call 631-854-5579.

TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©