Atlanta musicians supply Super Bowl sounds

The pomp leading up to Super Bowl kickoff is always noteworthy.

But around 5:55 p.m. on Feb. 2, just before the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks players are introduced at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the expected spectacle associated with the NFL’s crowning game will include a touch of Atlanta.

That’s when “Heart of Independence,” a six-minute piece of music composed by local musician Steve Dancz, will play under the segment “Declaration of Independence.”

An array of football legends, current players and other celebrities, including the Atlanta Falcons’ Tony Gonzalez, Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck and Minnesota Vikings monster running back Adrian Peterson, will read the declaration in honor of America’s active military troops and veterans.

It’s a tradition that Fox, which is airing the game, began in 2002 in the first post-9/11 Super Bowl pregame show.

The composition will include the sounds of Charles “Chuck” Arnold, a Lilburn-based trumpet player who is a 10-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and former member of the Navy Band.

“The concept is patriotic,” Atlanta’s Dancz said of creating the piece of music, which will accompany stirring video. “The images that are in the film take you to another place. When you look at it and read the text, it became very clear what kind of music needed to be written for this – orchestral in scope and context.”

While Dancz, a veteran composer who has scored dozens of “National Geographic” specials as well as a multitude of independent films (such as 2008’s “Sacred Sites of the Dalai Lamas”), admitted that this type of project “always feels a little daunting,” this is his second touchdown with the Super Bowl.

In 2011, the last time Fox aired the big game, Dancz was enlisted to score the declaration piece through Tammy Hurt, managing partner of Atlanta’s Placement Music, president of Georgia Music Partners and a member of the Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees.

Hurt had, at that time, recently been introduced to Fox Sports feature producer Jennifer Pransky, who needed a piece of music for 2011’s Super Bowl XLV.

Hurt and Dancz had also just met through the Recording Academy, and Hurt recruited him for the job.

“Georgia is such a hotbed for talent,” Hurt said. “It’s really untapped. We have such great talent here and great facilities. This is a testament to the fact that people should look to record here.”

Fast-forward three years and the circulation of networks airing the Super Bowl swung back to Fox, and in mid-December, Pransky came calling.

“The timing of it happened to be right back in 2011, and there was no question in my mind about who should produce the score for this year’s project,” Pransky said, adding that while the piece always presents a patriotic theme, this year’s will be tweaked a bit.

“It’s definitely going to be a true tribute to our veterans and active service members and have that sense of military pride to it,” she said. “A little more snare drum.”

Dancz, who is still putting the final flourishes on the piece, plans to use orchestral samples to complement Arnold and, due to time constraints, will complete the composition at his home studio.

Considering that more than 100 million people are expected to tune in to see Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning battle the Seahawks’ defense — 108.4 million watched the Baltimore Ravens vs. the San Francisco 49ers last year — there will be plenty of ears tuned to Dancz’s music.

Immediately following the broadcast, the music will be available for download on iTunes, with proceeds benefiting Joining Forces, a White House initiative that connects servicemen and women, veterans and military spouses with resources to find jobs.

“We are so proud to do this a second time,” Hurt said. “Steve created an amazing score the first time, and Fox was so happy they came back for seconds. The more opportunity we have to celebrate successes, the better.”