classical. I love it! Music can be wonderful therapy for the rigors of
> I heard some of these the last time I was there and found them kind of
> hokey and ridiculous...
> Atlanta Airport Grooving to Clean Music
> by Lisa Respers France
> CNN
> (CNN) -- Imagine arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
> Airport in Georgia, one of the busiest and most bustling airports in
> the country. People are dashing about, waiting at checkpoints and
> scanning the screens for departure and arrival times. Invariably
> there are delays and since you aren't going anywhere anytime soon, you
> might as well enjoy the tunes playing over the public announcement
> system.
> Hey, isn't that the Peaches and Herb classic "Shake Your Groove
> Thing"? You haven't heard that in years!
> But wait, what are they singing? It sounds like "Shake Your Groove
> Thing," but the lyrics playing don't match the ones you know.
> "Opening Day fresh, Opening Day fresh,
> Yeah, yeah
> Hartsfield-Jackson do it now
> Opening Day fresh, Opening Day fresh,
> Yeah, yeah
> Show 'em how we do it now!
> Show 'em how we do it now!"
> Welcome to parody with a purpose.
> As part of an initiative to keep the airport clean and get people
> excited about the airport's new shops and dining options, officials
> there bought the rights to three popular R & B classics: "Shake Your
> Groove Thing" by Peaches and Herb, "Bustin' Loose" by Chuck Brown and
> the Soul Searchers and "Fantastic Voyage" by Lakeside.
> With rights secured, Doug Strachan, Creative Innovations Manager for
> the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation, rewrote the lyrics and
> invited the original artists to record the revamped songs.
> "Whereas words reach the mind, music reaches the heart," Strachan
> said. "These are hit songs that people love ... real powerful, catchy
> and make you want to dance. If you can make someone dance, you can
> probably motivate them to do other things."
> So "Groove Thing" became "Keep It Opening Day Fresh," "Bustin Loose"
> morphed into "We're Steady Cleaning Up," and "Fantastic Voyage" was
> reborn as "Our New Concessions." Clean music with a clean message --
> literally.
> The concept of "opening day fresh" refers to keeping the airport as
> clean as if it were opening day, which means smelling fresh and
> looking as spotless as possible.
> The catchy tunes are a way to subtly remind visitors that it takes a
> team effort to keep the airport sparkling. "Our New Concessions"
> reminds travelers about the facility's retail offerings and food
> service.
> Strachan said much effort was put into making sure the songs were
> produced in such a way that they were respectful to the song and the
> artist.
> "The whole idea is to make it sound as much like the original as
> possible," Strachan said. "If it's not really done with deft, then it
> kind of detracts from it rather than enhances it."
> Herb Fame, half of Peaches and Herb, loved the idea and was pleased to
> remake his classic.
> "Shake Your Grove Thing" "was a worldwide song and people recognize
> the melody," said Fame, who continues to perform. "It was fun to do
> and every time I come through the airport I listen to it."
> Mark Wood, lead vocalist of the group Lakeside, said Strachan did a
> great job transforming "Fantastic Voyage" into a new, yet familiar
> song.
> "It's important to send the message in a way that the message will get
> through," Wood said. "Ours is a song that people may have grown up
> hearing or they may have played for their kids and so you might have
> generations that can relate to it."
> Such messaging can be extremely effective, said Matt Wallaert, lead
> scientist for Thrive, an online financial advisory company for young
> adults.
> Wallaert, an expert in behavioral finance and social psychology, said
> the airport is obviously attempting to do something his company also
> aims for -- offering useful information in a way that is less
> stressful for the user.
> "If you put up a sign that says 'Don't Litter,' people see it the
> first time you put it up, but every time after that it loses its
> impact, because it becomes a standard part of what they see," he said.
> "Music is pervasive in a way that a sign is not because it's
> everywhere."
> Strachan said officials at the airport definitely want those coming
> through to enjoy their time.
> As part of that, the airport recently launched the initial phases of a
> program that uses a scent called "Breeze" to help enhance visitors'
> mood. Strachan said the scent, which was first tested on a limited
> group of passengers, uses a variety of different notes, including
> vanilla and a little lavender.
> The pleasant, relaxing scent is going over so well that Strachan said
> a custom scent that will be exclusive to Hartsfield-Jackson is being
> developed.
> "We want to make people feel better," he said. "We wanted to give them
> an olfactory cue which suggested that the airport is opening day fresh
> and we want to enhance their travel experience."
> Stefanie Michaels, also known as Adventure Girl, is a travel
> commentator and writer who is a frequent traveler.
> Anything airports can do to make air travel more relaxing is more than
> welcome, especially in the times we live in, she said.
> "Movie theaters and restaurants have been using scents and those kinds
> of subliminal tactics for years," Michaels said. "Music makes people
> feel good and with the economy the way it is, people are just stressed
> to no end, so from a subconscious level it's a really wise thing for
> the airport to do."
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