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July 31, 2024 5 mins

The Olympic Movement takes itself very seriously. The often-portentous opening ceremonies invoke goals of peace and respect for athletes the world over. Unfortunately, those goals were not evident in the pouring rain of this opening ceremony in Paris. Ask the musicians who had to play in pouring rain and whose instruments were permanently destroyed. Tune in to this edition of the Sports Business Podcast with Prof. C. to learn more.

 

Host: Mark Conrad Producer: Victoria Ilano Additional Production: Jeffrey Haynes Artwork: Pamela V. White Marketing: Michelle Miller Music: ”MarcusWay/Energetic Pop Punk/Tribe of Noise” 

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

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(00:06):
Hello and
welcome to the Sports Business Podcastwith Prof.
C, the podcast that exploresthe world of professional,
collegiate, amateur, and Olympic sports.
I'm Mark Conrad or Prof.
C from Fordham University’s Gabelli Schoolof Business, where I serve as Professor

(00:28):
of Law and Ethics and the Directorof the Sports Business Initiative.
The Olympic Movement takes itselfvery seriously.
The often portentous opening ceremonies
that make up a partof every Olympiad involves
a keynote speech by the Presidentof the International Olympic Committee.

(00:50):
This address espouses the unifying idealsand goals
of a competition of athletesfrom all over the world.
The address toutsrespect for the participants
in an atmosphere of healthy competition,
and there is a heartythank you for the Olympic organizers
for crafting thelogistics of this huge event.

(01:14):
With all the pomp and circumstance,
I wish the Olympic organizers showedat least a modicum of respect
for the musicianswho performed at the opening ceremonies
and the instruments they used.
For those of youwho watched these ceremonies
marked a departure from past versions.
Athletes were sailed down the Seine River,and this voyage was interspersed

(01:38):
with various allusionsto French history and character
that ranged from interestingto kitschy to offensive.
The biggest positive was the conclusion,
a triumphantand moving performance by Celine Dion
that brought this hard boiledveteran of Olympic ceremonies to tears.

(02:00):
But back to the musicians.
As the NBC announcersfinally had to admit,
it rained in Parisduring the opening ceremony.
It rained quite hard.
The French National Orchestra performed
the Olympic hymn in pouring rain,wearing ponchos for their bodies, but
with no protection for their instruments,which were deluged with water.

(02:24):
Other musical performanceswere also affected.
A solo flutist performed the Marseillaise,
and a wonderful piano soloist performedRavel's Jeux d’eau, which ironically
translates to Water Games,and that's suffered from the weather.
The deluge exposed the performers and theinstruments to a constant flow of water.

(02:46):
Any musician will tell youthat this is a cardinal sin.
Water is the worst enemyfor all musical instruments,
but especially strings, woodwinds,and pianos.
It destroys an instrument.
That piano was basically gone.
The violins, cellos and basses ofthe orchestra are wood scrap.

(03:08):
Oboes and
clarinets cannot be savedwithout major reworking.
While it is likely that the orchestramembers did not use their own instruments,
which are often worthtens of thousands of dollars,
but use cheaper substitutes,that is no excuse.
Musical instruments are to be respected,along with the musicians.

(03:29):
The organizers could have hoisted a canopyat the very least,
or simply prerecordedthe orchestra in the event of bad weather.
They certainly did not need an in-person
orchestra to play that Olympic anthem.
For a musician, the instrument isan extension of themselves.
It is not a toy, nor a prop,

(03:51):
but a vehicle to express oneself.
I can tell you from personal experience,if I had my piano
or any piano treated as a disposableone use item,
that is not just upsetting,but it's sacrilegious.
Every professional and amateur musicianI know, and I have heard from a few

(04:12):
in the days since the opening ceremony,would react the same way.
Some criticism has appeared in journals
that specialize in art music,but little in the general media.
As Czech violist Anežka Kroupová
noted, “Nope..noteven with cheap instruments.

(04:32):
It's still an instrumentthat has a soul and it breaks my heart.”
To have instruments ruinedbecause the organizers
did not care to find waysto protect the players and their
instruments from a weather conditionthat was foreseeable
is an insult and profound lack of respectby the Olympic movement.

(04:55):
It should never happen again.
Any thoughts?
Send them to me at conrad@fordham.edu.
And thank you for listening.
Until next time, this is Prof.
C for the GabelliSports Business Initiative.
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