Inter Miami, the American professional soccer club based in South Florida, is establishing itself as an international sports brand. This past month, the club's most recent player acquisition announcement and signing of Lionel Messi, a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner and World Cup champion, arguably established as the greatest soccer player of his era, made a massive media splash, as fans anticipate an exciting MLS season.
Since Messi's signing, other significant player acquisitions have followed, and among them is the celebrated Spanish soccer player Sergio Busquets, also known as "El Maestro," who undoubtedly continues to put Inter Miami in the spotlight of the worldwide sports community.
To make Busquets' official announcement memorable, the Inter Miami team partnered with the Frost School of Music, using the player's nickname to craft a unique and perfectly synergistic video collaboration. Assistant Professor Stephen Guerra from the Frost School of Music's Department of Studio Music and Jazz worked closely with Inter Miami's Video Production and Creative Manager Nicola Rubino to complete the project.
"Our concept was to produce a 45-second composition/arrangement to be used in a video announcing the signing of Sergio Busquets, who the team signed to play alongside Messi, Miami's latest sporting superstar," says Guerra. "They wanted the music to include the melody from one of the team's fans' stadium chants, so I used the first half of the composition to build tension before I presented the melody of the chant in the final 10 bars or so."
Abby Young, most recently the Managing Director of the Henry Mancini Institute, was also brought in to coordinate the hiring of the 25 musicians involved in the audio recording. The orchestra was comprised of a mix of Frost School of Music students and alumni. "I had the opportunity to put together an orchestra that highlighted some of our alumni who still live in the Miami area, along with current students who stayed in town for the summer," explains Young.
There were many creative discussions between Inter Miami and Frost's teams, and the project's logistics were finalized only two days before the video announcement was shoot. Guerra moved fast on his arrangement, Young confirmed musicians quickly once the timeline was set, and Frost students and alumni had the sheet music for less than 24 hours before they recorded the audio at the Weeks Recording Studio on campus. Guerra produced the audio recording, and Frost Production Engineer, Julio Licona, helped finalize it.
The next day, Rubino directed the video with the assistance of the Frost Recording Services team at the UM Maurice Gusman Concert Hall. The string principals worked diligently to coordinate bowings for their sections, and the percussionists sprang into action to reserve and transport the instruments needed for the sessions. In the video, "El Maestro" is seen conducting the orchestra from the back, and in the last second, the camera pans, and his face is revealed to show Sergio Busquets. Everyone involved was well prepared and performed at a professional level with very little preparation time.
"This project was representative of many projects our students will do throughout their professional careers, and they rose to the occasion!" Young exclaims. "The preparation of our students and alumni confirms their readiness for high-profile projects such as this one. The number of our alumni actively working in Miami shows how well Frost has set them up for job opportunities locally and wherever their careers will take them," she concludes.
Seeing a prominent sports team like Inter Miami partner with a renowned institution like the Frost School of Music speaks to the incredible talent in our Miami and South Florida region.
"This project showcases how dynamic and flexible students, staff, and faculty are. On the Frost side, several programs came together to provide a high-quality product for a well-recognized brand. Our students are prepared for this type of work, and the final product is a testament to all the amazing things that happen at Frost," concludes Guerra.
