Have you ever thought about how sports teams implemented music into their events? How do they play all of those pump-up music and intermission specials? What made that come to be? The answer is the Organ. One of the earliest types of instruments that were implemented in sports. It brings a feeling and attachment to the sporting world that can’t be explained! Organs are a staple in the sporting world, the very first one was seen in Chicago back in 1929 at the old Chicago Stadium. Beforehand, you could only find them in theatres, restaurants, and other venues. It was ahead of its time!
Giving that old school feel in the arena, when asking other fans, they felt the same way. “It definitely does bring that oldy feel to it, but I wasn’t around then when they were just starting out,” Fan of the game, Michael Bartner, said. Bartner added, “They usually only play them during the intermission and before the game, but it brings a cool atmosphere.” The organs began to pop up in New York and Boston in the early days of hockey, including Detroit. Most notably, the Allen Organ at the Red Wings stadium. The Illitch family, owners of the Red Wings, decided they wanted to bring back the tradition. So, a custom Allen Organ was installed in Little Caesars Arena. In those days, it gave off an old-school feel. Nowadays, Organs can be found in 25 of the 31 NHL arenas. Some of them are actual theatre organs, but a lot of them are Church Organs. It’s not always about the Organs themselves, it’s about who plays them.
One organist, Sawyer Best, who has had the opportunity to play the Allen Organ at Little Caesars Arena, which is where the Detroit Red Wings play, described the stadium playing experience as “amazing,” while talking about how the sound system in the arena makes the instrument prevalent to its crowd, he went on to say, “It’s very powerful. The acoustics of the stadium and the sound system make everything sound fuller. The bass is almost overbearing.”
Playing in a massive venue such as Little Caesars Arena evokes a lot of excitement in one’s emotions. While Sawyer wasn’t playing for a crowd, he was only with a few people, and the stadium had an unbelievable presence. Sawyer stated, “I was mainly excited, and even though I wasn’t playing for a crowd, I could still feel the presence of the stadium itself.”
The tradition of the organ at hockey games and sports games as a whole is not just about the music – It’s about the connection between the organist and the audience. Whether the organist is playing the famous ‘Charge!’ or a familiar tune, the organ is a big part of sports and its culture. For organists like Sawyer, the idea of playing for a large crowd in an arena with the crowd going wild is one he hopes will come true someday. Sawyer went on to note, “Organs in stadiums always add more excitement.”
Though most organs in stadiums have been replaced by soundtracks and playlists, the organ is still very much prevalent in sports culture. With 25 of the 31 NHL arenas still using one, it’s a fact that the old-school sound of the organ isn’t fading anytime soon. It continues to excite many, ensuring that generations of fans can experience the idea of sports and music as a whole in a way that only an organ can deliver.
