“What would be your walk up to bat music?”

This was the question posed to me and several others at a New Orleans Zephyrs minor league baseball game on a beautiful mid June night at the Shrine on Airline.  Most of the others came up with interesting or fun song titles but I suddenly went blank!  I sat there pondering this question for the rest of the game while critiquing the current batters choices as they came up to bat wondering why on earth they chose a specific song and trying to figure out the ultimate song to announce the coming of the Great Eric to the Plate!

But alas, I could not come up with a “now at bat” song and tried to forget about it.  That was until a couple of days later when I was watching WWE wrestling and listening to all of the wrestlers’ “entrance” music.  If I was heading down the ramp to do battle with Andre the Giant, what song would get me all fired up to make the long walk to meet him?  Again, I was blank!

Music has been important to sports like baseball games ever since “The Star-Spangled Banner” was played at the start of the 1918 World Series.  With little ditties like “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” it was a nice filler for breaks between innings while people would purchase their “Peanuts and Cracker Jacks.”  As boxers and wrestlers have used their “entrance music” to get them and their fans all fired up for victory, baseball players have followed by blasting their walk up or “now at bat” music in hopes of inspiration and success!  Even pitchers have gotten in on the action with their “out of the bullpen” music.  This is perfectly portrayed in the 1989 movie, Major League as they announce the entrance of pitcher Ricky “Wild Thang” Vaughn!

So what is it about music that gets people fired up and excited?  Why does it inspire people to pursue success and complete major feats of adventure, strength, and skill?  What is it about music that perhaps reignites that fire in someone to overcome all the odds and achieve their goal?

Well, there are millions of documented studies out there that can explain this phenomena better than I can.  But in short, some of the studies out there have discussed how music floods the brain with a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is the chemical in the brain associated with pleasure, motivation and reward.  Other studies have shown that there’s actual evidence that your brain waves are indeed affected by the music you listen to and depending on the tempo of the song, you can create alpha and theta waves that will stimulate inspiration and creativity!  But again, this is well beyond my knowledge on the subject.  I just know that music is and has always been the soundtrack to my inspiration in pursuit of many of my Bucketlist items!

So why am I stuck determining a “Now at Bat” or “Now to the Ring” song?  Perhaps there are too many songs from which to choose? Surely there must be one song that inspires me.  I just couldn’t think of one, so I decided to ask others.  I posed this question to several of my friends:

” I have a random but very interesting question. You know when baseball players go up to bat or when wrestlers or boxers or introduced from the back and they play their entrance music that keeps them all fired up and jacked out of their minds with energy? My question to you is what would be your entrance music into the WrestleMania ring or a title boxing match or when you come up to bat at the World Series?”

Below are their answers:

• “Music has been a big part of my life. When I got really really sick the song that got me through the most painful procedure (3 Spinal Taps ) post operatively was Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve.”  ~Mana’Olanakeiki Alo
• “Believe by Mumford and Sons.  It means to me just to know ur still alive and never give.” ~Alex Arechavaleta
• “I love Another One Bites the Dust by Queen.  That driving beat motivates me to do anything.  When we were cycling Africa, I’d put that song on during the final stretch of a very had day and it got me though the final kilometers.  I got into camp with a smile on my face and my head bobbing to the beat.  Freddie Mercury had the best voice in Rock n Roll, that bass line is fantastic.  You cant help but be ready to take in the world when you hear it!” ~Deb of The Planet D
• “Bouncing Back by Mystikal. It’s about coming back stronger when you get knocked down.” ~ James Folse
• “This may sound a little unique, but seeing that my music background is in classical, I would have to say Chopin’s Revolutionary Etude Op. 10 no.12 in C minor. It has a lot of momentum and power and always gets me pumped when I hear it. His Ocean Etude Op.25 No.12 in C minor is another good one for the same reasons. They are both very aggressive pieces, you can feel his anger and wrath when you listen to them both. Something about these pieces makes me think its time to put my game face on!” ~August Bailey
• “I love “lose yourself” by Eminem. The lyrics of this song made me want to take my shot. The excitement, the emotion; everything comes together and you make this decision to do something you’ve dreamed about. The feeling is amazing, and you know that “success is the only mother$#@in’ option, failure not”. It just sums the process up so perfectly.” ~ Zachary Smits
• “Mine isn’t a typical jacked up anthem. It’s something that reflects my whimsical side yet for whatever reason, gets me moving. It’s root beer rag performed by Billy Joel.  I picture if my grandfather had an iPod when he was a youngster, this would probably be what was on his workout track. And that makes me happy. Plus the speed of it makes my feet move significantly faster when I’m on a run.” ~Joseph Elfer
• “I think my song is Right Here Right Now by Jesus Jones because I love being in that moment.  The adrenaline, the build up to it…that is the most fun to enjoy it…and to make the most of it.  The Son says Right Here Right Now, there is no other place I rather be!!  I love it!” ~Mark Firmin
• “William Tell Overture.  It reminds ‘me’ of when I was a youngster and full of piss and vinegar!” ~Mark Snider
• “My entrance music theme song is Imperial March by John Williams.  Once you leave the locker room, you already made the commitment to reach your goal, now you have to focus on the details of how you’re going to reach that goal, you need to focus.  Imperial March is slow, steady, and relentless.  When you come out the locker room you need to lay a solid foundation and make good plans to reach your goals.  This song helps me focus on setting myself up for success.  The Death Star was not built in a day, by people who rushed into the project.” ~Nicholas Kidder
• “Fighter by Christina Aguilera.  This song is the embodiment of life experiences. Everyone goes through ups and downs, but this song lets me turn those experiences into personal strength.” ~Sarah Smits
• “The song that motivates me is See You Again by Wiz Khalifa.  I love the Fast and the Furious movies, so that song really gets me.  It makes me strive for more!” ~ Cris Salas
• “What a Wonderful World because it has always meant a lot to my dad and I.  When I hear that song I think of him – someone that has had more than his share of hardships but never quit trying or smiling, someone who can do anything and who motivates me to keep going even when I want to give up.” ~Darcee Snider
• “Rich Kids by New Medicine no question about it.  If you listen to the song you just know.  Its kind of a punk rocker song but it’ll motivate anyone to get up and move!” ~ Ali Salas

As you can see, many songs motivate people in many different ways.  It is interesting to ask this question to people cause at first they offer up something funny or trite but after some digging its amazing to find out their song and even more amazing to find out why that song moves them!

So what did I finally decide on my song?

I think the song that drives me is “Remember the Name by Fort Minor.”  I love the lyrics of the refrain because it fits every goal I go after:

This is ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name

So what would be your “Now at Bat” or “Entrance” song?  Let me know in the comments below!

Don’t forget to Pin this to your Bucket List Board!