Listen to a sample of the MLS anthem >
When it came to an MLS theme, Ivan Gazidis knew what he wanted to hear, it was just a matter of translating and transforming that idea to music.
"What we were looking for was something that would be uniquely appropriate for this game as opposed to any other sport, so we were not looking for a usual 'jock rock' type of sound that you hear across so many sports in the United States," the MLS deputy commissioner said.
"We were looking to have a moment that would announce to the crowd in the stadium that the contest was about to start. We were looking for a piece of music that would impress upon everybody - the fans, the administrators, the people working the game, the players and the officials - the importance of every game, the importance of every moment."
And after listening to hundreds of hours of music and countless attempts over a three-month span, Gazidis found that sound he was searching for.
"I felt this music. I felt that this music was exactly right," he said. "The very first time for me it had that piece, that kernel of something that I could feel being absolutely right at our MLS Cup final. It hasn't lost it as we've developed it."
That song, which will debuted at this weekend's opening games, was recorded last week by an 80-piece orchestra in Prague. It will be played when the teams are led out of the tunnel by the officials as part of the league's new "Game First" initiatives. A 20-second snippet can be heard on MLSnet.com beginning at 12 noon on Friday.
Unveiled on Monday, "Game First" also includes the new designated player rule, a change to the playoff format, SuperLiga 2008 qualification for the top four teams and an alteration in the payment of incentive-based bonuses for players, which the league believes will make every game, every moment meaningful.
"It's a perfect time to evolve the MLS brand and it's a perfect time for the organization to put forward the resources, the time and the focus on the game itself," said MLS creative director Rich Levy.
To capture this theme, MLS went to Audiobrain, a Manhattan-based company that specializes in preparing music for companies, like composing the sound and logo for Microsoft's Xbox 360 and who were music supervisors of NBC's Olympic broadcasts. Audiobrain already had an existing relationship with MLS, having served as music supervisors for MLS on ESPN2 since 2005.
The natural progression was to create a theme that would be synonymous with Major League Soccer.
"We're a new league and a growing league that's developing and we wanted to have an aspect, which we described to Audiobrain as the process of a young league that is looking out over a horizon of unlimited possibilities," Gazidis said. "I think the piece of music emotionally captures that feeling that we wanted to capture."
While Gazidis and Levy both had chills when they heard the final piece - especially seeing it performed live by the orchestra in Prague, Gazidis knows it will take time for fans to make the connection between the song and the game.
"The FIFA anthem has power because you've heard it at great World Cup games and because of those games, it doesn't sound inappropriate at the lesser games," he said. "It speaks to a tradition of international soccer that has become a part of our lexicon."
And that's the plan for the MLS anthem.
"Over a period of time, this piece of music will become associated in people's minds with the great MLS moments in our history - a championship game, an important playoff game, the local rivalry, the 5-4 come-from-behind victory," Gazidis said. "Over time, that association will become strong and the music will become more powerful."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
