Big Impressions: NFL Films and Sam Spence, Composer

Even though baseball is my favorite sport, I also love football. Being from Kansas City, my parents became Chiefs fans when the Dallas Texans moved to KC in 1963 and joined the AFL as the Chiefs. Naturally, I became a Chiefs fan too. In those days, there was no ESPN or social media. There were one or two games a week to watch on TV each Sunday, and in 1970, Monday Night Football was born which added a third opportunity to see NFL football. The only way to see highlights of each game was to watch This Week in Pro Football, a production of NFL Films. Watching TWIPF was a must for me. NFL Films used dramatic music, slow motion action and vivid narration that brought each game to life in a theatrical way. The players and coaches seemed larger than life...almost mythical. But it was the music that caught my attention and did the most to create the story for each segment. 

Sam Spence (1927-2016) was the composer who brought these films to life.  He used a wide array of styles and instrumentation to fit the mood of the game. Here is a tune he wrote called The Ramblin' Man from Gramblin' being used for a Chiefs-Dolphins game from 1974:

Here is the music without the narration:

And here is my arrangement of Ramblin' Man From Gramblin' on the guitar:

Here's another great tune called The Over the Hill Gang by Sam Spence:

These two works and many others filled my childhood with great memories. Thank you Sam Spence.

Classics in Commercials: Patrick Mahomes and Beethoven for Bose

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk38H2UtrLY

It seems ironic that the tag line for this Bose Earbuds commercial is "rules the quiet." The music you are hearing in this ad is the second movement of Beethoven's Symphony no 9. I'm sure you are aware that Beethoven was tormented with hearing loss, tinnitus, and eventually total deafness. Despite this cruel fate, he continued to write music. And as the story goes, while conducting the 9th Symphony at it's premiere, he didn't hear the audience's applause when it was over so the musicians had to turn him around to see how well it had been received. 

Beethoven sought medical attention throughout his life to deal with his hearing issues. But he certainly didn't have anything like the amazing technology we have today such as these earbuds being promoted by Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. And I don't know if the creators of this commercial chose Beethoven's music just because it is incredible music, or if they were tapping into the story of Beethoven's hearing tragedy as a way to emphasize the power of their technology. 

I wrote about my hearing challenges in this blog a few years ago, and I called it "This is My Quiet." When the room is quiet, I don't just hear "nothing." I hear whirring and buzzing. My hearing has been damaged over the course of my lifetime from exposures to loud music and other everyday loud noises. Now I keep earplugs with me at all times and for all environments, be it in a crowded-noisy restaurant, a concert, vacuuming, or playing my violin. 

I like this commercial a lot because I love the KC Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, and Beethoven.