Cypress Road Light Show Dazzles

Every Christmas, for the past four years, the Maloney family has transformed their Cypress Road home into a dazzling holiday display with lights synchronized to music of the season, which is broadcast on a low-power radio station.

According to the family, people come from around the region and even as far away as New York to see the light display that is designed by brothers and self-described computer geeks Mike and Chris Maloney.

Chris said the idea for the synchronized display began in early 2008, when he stumbled upon DoItYourselfChristmas.com, which has instruction on how to build a Christmas light show that was set to music.

A short time later, Chris, who lives nearby, went to this brother’s Cypress Road house with a few lights synchronized to Pink Floyd.

After seeing Chris’ demonstration, Mike, his wife, Lisa, and their three children, were up to the task. By that holiday season, the display begun to take shape.

“It was Chris’ idea, but for some reason he wanted to do it at my house,” Mike said laughingly. “He doesn't even put lights up at his house.”

This year’s light show features about 22,500 lights that are programed to match nine holiday songs selected by the family.

The holiday show is run by a free computer program titled Vixen. Using Vixen, it takes about 20 hours to set each song to go with the music, the brothers said. The music is then broadcast on 91.5 FM using a low-power radio transmitter.

“You’re just so sick of hearing to the song after listening to it for more than 20 plus hours,” Mike said with a chuckle.

The Maloneys said they begin setting the display up in early November and finish by December 1.

“It’s all about the lights in December,” Mike said.

For the family, who spends the month of December eating their dinners in their dark street-front dining room, as not to take away from the display, it’s worth it.

“You just smile when you see it,” Chris said.

Mike and Lisa’s 10-year-old son, Sean, said he is known by his classmates for living in the house with the “awesome lights.”

The family said they always liked to look at the big displays and according to Lisa, “it’s cool that we’re now 'that house.'”