How would you give a well-known tune heard by millions around the world a distinctive Dallas sound?

How about incorporating a bit of country rhythm with dobro chords and entrusting the mission to a thriving local producer who has won four Grammys?

Meet Tre Nagella, the creator of the FIFA 2026 Official World Cup Sonic ID for the Dallas venue.

A Sonic ID is a combination of sound and music that brands and corporations use to establish instant recognition among the public.

Essentially, a Sonic ID is an auditory logo.

FIFA, the international soccer governing body, uses the Sonic ID to open and close each World Cup match broadcast. Television networks also use it before and after commercial breaks.

The Dallas Sonic ID will be unveiled during the first quarter of Sunday’s Mavericks game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

“My goal was to take that theme and somehow incorporate other musical elements to better represent the city of Dallas,” Nagella said while playing the theme in his Addison production studios.

The 1:57-long Sonic ID has enough elements to distinguish itself from the other 15 Sonic IDs each World Cup host city prepared.

FIFA imposed certain constraints, such as not changing the tempo of the track because they had timed things out for broadcast and promos.

This is the first time FIFA will have city-specific Sonic IDs so that each city can put its stamp on the World Cup.

Nagella incorporated a country-style sound, but to avoid any confusion or comparison with Nashville, and to have a sound representative of Texas, the producer used acoustic guitars, pedal steel, and the dobro, a guitar-like instrument more native to the South.

“I didn’t want it to be too cliche and just be all country. Dallas has a big urban scene. We have a lot of hip-hop. We have a lot of gospel music. So I wanted to incorporate some urban elements as well,” Nagella said.

The World Cup, to be played in the summer of 2026, will be the first in history with 48 national teams competing in 104 matches.

Nagella took care of every detail in his production, recreating the most important and dramatic elements surrounding a soccer match.

Nagella’s creative production includes the clamor of fans in a stadium chanting a goal, the ticking clock signaling the passage of time, and the effects of the players’ panting breaths.

“There are a lot of elements to this that most people probably wouldn’t pick up right away. I literally use sound effects that aren’t musical at all and just put a big stadium full of people here,” said Nagella, 45.

Nagella, born and raised in Dallas, had a passion for music since he was 12 when he started playing guitar in school.

His love for music led him to study at Full Sail University — Music Production College in Orlando.

Producing gospel music for Kirk Franklin opened the door to a career that has led him to work alongside other major stars, such as Ed Sheeran, Travis Scott, Aaron Lazar, Blake Shelton, Lady Gaga and many others.

Nagella and Paul Loomis co-own Luminous Sound Studios, a 6,500-square-foot facility with three state-of-the-art studios and a two-story tracking room.

“Besides technology, you need talent to produce music,” said Nagella, who describes himself as a mix of musician, producer, mixer, and sound engineer.

“Even with all the advanced technology, the song’s melody and heart and soul still have to come from a human. You still have to be creative, and the computer can’t make it for you. There’s a reason why we still listen to songs that are old,” Nagella said.

Nagella said his most exciting moments as a music producer have come when he feels like he’s created something magical in a studio.

The FIFA 2026 Official World Cup theme is one of those moments.

“I put a lot of thought into best representing our city,” Nagella said.

“When people around the world hear the theme, the first thing they’ll think of is Dallas, that’s exciting.”

Find more FC Dallas coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

Among the beauty of Texas spring blooms at the Dallas Arboretum is the glory of the simplest moments of everyday life. A series of Seward Johnson’s sculptures complement the 40^th annual Dallas Blooms 2025: Outside the Ordinary and will remain on view through Sept. 1.

Every spring, North Texans go to the Dallas Arboretum for the blooming of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and cherry blossoms and this year, they will stay for Johnson’s hyper-realistic works.

“We put art in gardens because  it is as old as time. Art and gardens have gone together forever. Horticulture is an art in itself, and they just play off each other so beautifully,” said Sabina Carr, Dallas Arboretum’s President and CEO.

Johnson, who died in 2020, was the grandson of the Johnson & Johnson co-founder. After his uncle fired him from the family business at age 38, Johnson forged his own career as an artist. He created life-size bronze sculptures depicting ordinary people doing ordinary things.

“It’s all about the small slices of life,” said Dustin Miller, Dallas Arboretum’s Vice President of Programs and Learning.

Johnson also established Grounds For Sculpture, a botanical and sculpture garden outside of Treton, New Jersey. Johnson’s monumental work, Crossing Paths, features two women sitting on a bench, chatting. The sculpture’s home is Grounds For Sculpture, and this is the first time the work has traveled outside of New Jersey.

Kimberly Richard

Kimberly Richard

The Dallas Arboretum displayed Johnson’s sculptures in the summer of 2020 and this monumental version of Crossing Paths sits in the same spot as the life-size version was five years ago. It is so large that it can be seen from Garland Road. But what does it mean?

“It is up to you what it means. It is a capture of just a moment in time, of something ordinary in time. Seward believed the small things in life are the more important things in life, “ Carr said.

The life-size sculptures dotted throughout the garden highlight Johnson’s skill and development of his technique over time. Tending the Garden is a rare commission.

Kimberly Richard

Kimberly Richard

“Seward Johnson had a woman approach him and ask him to create her likeness as a sculpture,” Miller said. “Interestingly and sadly, she passed away before it was finished.”

The sculpture depicts a woman gardening with her dog jumping up for her attention.

“It’s a great example of his late works. You can really see the fine detail, especially with the veins on her hands. This is the fully painted patina. This is all with automobile paint. They actually create this, and they layer it up so the first layer could be green and blue paint and then they work their way up to this realistic life-like look,” Miller said.

Kimberly Richard

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Kimberly Richard

Johnson used the client’s dog for a model and his attention to detail can be seen in the woman’s clothing. Johnson would request clothing from a client, thrift appropriate clothing or buy new clothing from Bergdorf Goodman and replicate the texture precisely.

“All of this fabric is actually either stainless steel or blended metal, depending on what sculpture you’re looking at, but the texture is from an authentic piece of fabric to make it look so realistic,” Miller said.

Overlooking the garden’s concert hill is When Then Becomes Now. A woman is sketching a familiar vista.

“Everywhere this goes, they customize the artwork, so she is actually drawing the concert hill here,” Miller said.

Kimberly Richard

Kimberly Richard

This sculpture is not fully painted, further highlighting Johnson’s precise details.

“For me , this is one of the ones that most realistically shows clothes, especially that tank she’s got under the sweater,” Miller said.

Hot Weather depicts a man licking an ice cream cone. This summer, the flower bed surrounding the sculpture will features plants and flowers with names inspired by ice cream and sundaes. The sculpture includes a prominent watch, a favorite element for Johnson to create, and a bandage.

“He does little nods to the family business,” Miller said.

Kimberly Richard

Kimberly Richard

The style of the man’s blue jeans provide a hint about the sculpture.

“You can also start to approximate the age of the sculpture based on the style of the Levis,” Miller said.

Johnson’s sculptures show cherishing life’s simple moments never goes out of style.

Learn more: Dallas Arboretum

Kyle Connor scored twice and added an assist to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Friday night.

Dylan Samberg and Morgan Barron also scored for Winnipeg, while Mark Scheifele had three assists. Connor Hellebuyck made 24 saves.

Mason Marchment scored for the Stars with 3:49 to play and Jake Oettinger stopped 18 shots.

Winnipeg’s 96 points widened its Western Conference and Central Division lead over the Stars to 10 points. Dallas has two games in hand. The Jets also moved two points ahead of the idle Washington Capitals for top spot in the league.

Samberg scored when his shot went through traffic past Oettinger at 8:01. Connor made it 2-0 with a one-timer that went over Oettinger’s stick with 2:58 left in the frame.

The team’s leading scorer made it 3-0 with his 35th goal of the season at 6:43 of the second.

Barron tipped in a Dylan DeMelo shot at 7:26 of the third to stretch the lead to 4-0.