For us here at Balk About It our love of baseball and music go hand-in-hand (imagine skipping through daisies sort of hand-to-hand). It is an explosion of awesome when those worlds collide in a giant Bazinga! I was lucky enough to have a chance to chat with Dan Edwards, the new music director for Target Field (home of the Minnesota Twins).
So, what exactly does a Music Director do? Especially at a ballpark packed with 40,000+ fans? Well, here’s your  answer!
The technical answer: the Music Director is responsible for playing the music in between innings, before and after the game, giving cues to the organist, lining up the players music, and many other things that guarantee a smooth sounding game.
The answer I know you’ll all relate to: the Music Director is responsible for getting you out of your seat and cheering for your team! They are responsible for ensuring that the game is entertaining and fun – and that’s a tall order. Maybe it’s getting you to dance during a bullpen warm up, to roar for your closer taking the mound at the ultimate moment, or to stand and wait with baited breath for your team to run out of their dugout. Its emotions and baseball and music –  all blended into one fantastic job.
What You May Not Know:
Working with players walk-up music isn’t as simple as pushing the ‘play’ button. Dan Edwards shared two opposite situations that he is working on with the Minnesota Twins. Here’s your inside Balk About it exclusive story:
- Our very own Mr. Baseball, Jim Thome, is one of the few remaining pro players that doesn’t pick his own music. He allows the music director to find something that he can play when he comes to bat. Hey, if you’re taking suggestions Mr. Edwards: I think some classic anthem rock would be perfect for Thome!. I am awfully partial to Purple Haze’s ‘Smoke on the Water.’
- Where Thome is hands off with his music Joe Nathan is very hands on. He works closely with the music director to get his music ideas across. And I for one can’t wait to hear his ideas for this season  live and in action!
So the next time you are at a baseball game, be it at Target Field or your own team’s stadium, take a moment to appreciate what you are hearing and the person who is working hard behind the scenes to give you the full game experience!
