Light show gives teen reason to shine
By Gillian Graham
Staff Writer
Gabriel Letourneau gets excited when he talks about Christmas lights. Especially when they’re synchronized to music.
Four years after his uncle sent him an e-mail video of a popular holiday light show, the Saco teen has debuted his own festive display.
Letourneau, 14, has transformed his Sullivan Lane home into the backdrop for a 12-minute show set to four songs. Visitors tune their car radios to 107.1 FM and can make donations to the Maine Cancer Program.
After watching that first video, Letourneau said he “wanted to know how it all works.” He “begged” his parents for three years for the software and equipment he needed to create his own, before receiving it last Christmas.
Since then, Letourneau said he has spent 62 hours programming and 200 hours working on the show. He used 3,650 individual lights, $100 worth of extension cords, more than 900 zip-ties and a pulley system to decorate the house.
He also built a light grid, mini trees made of upside-down tomato baskets and a donation box. Though he began working on the project in July, Letourneau did most of the work in October and November, following a calendar of daily tasks to accomplish.
Letourneau said he chose the music because the songs have “good continuous beats” that are easier to program. He designs the shows using a computer program, which allows him to program lights to power every 1/20th of a second.
Letourneau said he has been inspired by light shows he sees on the Internet. His “favorite of all time” is the Lindsay Lights 2006 show in Toronto, which is posted on the Web site, www.lindsaylights.com.
“This is really what sparked my imagination,” he said.
Letourneau said an important element of his show is the opportunity for visitors to make a donation to a local charity. Having donations stay in the immediate area was essential, he said, and he chose the Maine Cancer Program to honor family members who battled cancer.
Letourneau’s mother, Elaine, said she is impressed by her son’s dedication to following his passion and the amount of work he put into the show. She and the family love the colorful show even though she is a “white lights sort of person.”
“I was really amazed at how it came together,” she said.
The family said they welcome anyone to watch the show between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. every night until Jan. 1. They ask visitors not to honk their horns or block driveways.
Letourneau said he hopes visitors enjoy the show and wonder how it all works.
“When they see it, I hope for them to see the work that went into it,” he said.
He is already planning for future shows, spending 62 hours programming one song for the “dream show” he plans to do before he leaves for college.
Letourneau is also figuring out which stores will have the best after-Christmas sales on lights because, he said, next year’s show will feature 20,00 lights.
Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
Staff Writer
Gabriel Letourneau gets excited when he talks about Christmas lights. Especially when they’re synchronized to music.
Four years after his uncle sent him an e-mail video of a popular holiday light show, the Saco teen has debuted his own festive display.
Letourneau, 14, has transformed his Sullivan Lane home into the backdrop for a 12-minute show set to four songs. Visitors tune their car radios to 107.1 FM and can make donations to the Maine Cancer Program.
After watching that first video, Letourneau said he “wanted to know how it all works.” He “begged” his parents for three years for the software and equipment he needed to create his own, before receiving it last Christmas.
Since then, Letourneau said he has spent 62 hours programming and 200 hours working on the show. He used 3,650 individual lights, $100 worth of extension cords, more than 900 zip-ties and a pulley system to decorate the house.
He also built a light grid, mini trees made of upside-down tomato baskets and a donation box. Though he began working on the project in July, Letourneau did most of the work in October and November, following a calendar of daily tasks to accomplish.
Letourneau said he chose the music because the songs have “good continuous beats” that are easier to program. He designs the shows using a computer program, which allows him to program lights to power every 1/20th of a second.
Letourneau said he has been inspired by light shows he sees on the Internet. His “favorite of all time” is the Lindsay Lights 2006 show in Toronto, which is posted on the Web site, www.lindsaylights.com.
“This is really what sparked my imagination,” he said.
Letourneau said an important element of his show is the opportunity for visitors to make a donation to a local charity. Having donations stay in the immediate area was essential, he said, and he chose the Maine Cancer Program to honor family members who battled cancer.
Letourneau’s mother, Elaine, said she is impressed by her son’s dedication to following his passion and the amount of work he put into the show. She and the family love the colorful show even though she is a “white lights sort of person.”
“I was really amazed at how it came together,” she said.
The family said they welcome anyone to watch the show between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. every night until Jan. 1. They ask visitors not to honk their horns or block driveways.
Letourneau said he hopes visitors enjoy the show and wonder how it all works.
“When they see it, I hope for them to see the work that went into it,” he said.
He is already planning for future shows, spending 62 hours programming one song for the “dream show” he plans to do before he leaves for college.
Letourneau is also figuring out which stores will have the best after-Christmas sales on lights because, he said, next year’s show will feature 20,00 lights.
Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.
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