Mickey Hart of Grateful Dead Explores Music and Sports in New Film

The movie “Rhythm Masters” is deeply interwoven with Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart’s lifelong fascination with elite competition and rhythmic entrainment. For six decades, Mickey has been a prominent percussionist and an ardent sports fan. His passion for sports began early. In 1962, at age 19, he left high school to join the Air Force, excelling only in music and physical education. Influenced by his percussionist parents, Mickey was recruited by the Air Force to join the elite Blue Eagles drumming corps. He recalls those men with a mixture of awe and admiration.

Mickey worked rigorously to fit in and found himself on an Air Force judo team. When asked how Michael Hartman, a Jewish kid from New York City, transformed into Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, he credits those early experiences. The rhythms of drumming and the movements in judo became intertwined in his mind, forming the basis of his life’s philosophy. Over the years, Mickey has explored these rhythms with the Grateful Dead, Planet Drum, Dead & Company, and, more recently, with an ESPN team.

The inception of “Rhythm Masters” evolved from decades of conversations between Mickey and his best friend, the late ESPN colleague Bill Walton. They fantasized about replacing announcers with drums to illustrate the unseen connections between music and athletic performance. A team from ESPN and musicians from Mickey’s studio converged to transform these ideas into “Rhythm Masters.” Mickey found deep correlations between music and sports, particularly around concepts like flow state and non-verbal communication among team members.

ESPN facilitated interviews with top athletes and coaches, including Bob Cousy, Jack Nicklaus, Marshawn Lynch, and Mikaela Shiffrin. Mickey’s unique perspective led to probing, original questions that generated unprecedented insights. Armed with these interviews and ESPN’s extensive archive of sports highlights, Mickey composed original music in his studio, synchronizing it with the sports footage. This melding of visuals and sound created an extraordinary narrative, making familiar sports moments feel newly profound.

Historical perspectives support this profound connection between music and movement. From early soccer in China circa 3000 BCE to alligator skin drums, rhythm and athletic prowess have always been linked. Mickey, an avid collector of information ranging from NASA documents to quantum physics data, regularly sent extensive files to the team, quoting figures like Bernard d’Espagnat and Bruce Lee, underscoring the timeless nature of rhythm.

In discussing the film, Mickey emphasized that it aims to showcase how sports enhance life by fostering raised consciousness. The essence of rhythmic entrainment enables individuals to immerse in the “now.” To Mickey, this concept transcends physical locations, delving into the geography of consciousness within every soul.

Throughout his career, performing in various venues from college gymnasiums to the foot of the Great Pyramids, Mickey has been on a journey to map this consciousness. By synchronizing music with sports, he aspires for the audience to experience a heightened state of awareness, akin to a spiritual journey.

To analogize this to sports, he mentioned that it makes one a modern-day Magellan, exploring new worlds via sports. This shared focus connects his roles on stage and as an athlete in search of transcendence.

Conversations with the Rhythm Masters:

Mickey Hart: If you’re a great player, it doesn’t mean much if you’re playing alone while a group is in sync. The synchrony and flow are crucial in any team sport. How do you get players to understand this flow?

Phil Jackson: You implement it naturally, like a jazz group. They can have their riffs but always return to the group flow.

Hart: Improvisation is key in both sports and music. Most plays in basketball don’t work out as planned, forcing players to improvise.

Hart: How does rhythm contribute to your game?

Joe Montana: It’s all about rhythm and timing between the quarterback and receivers, achieved through practice and synchronization.

Hart: How do you harness your power, known as Beast Mode?

Marshawn Lynch: It’s a mental game. Power is not just physical but also about outthinking your opponent.

Hart: Describe the sensation of moving really fast.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Moving fast feels like you’re almost not moving at all; it’s an indescribable, exhilarating sensation.

Hart: How do you achieve that state of flow or being in the zone?

Jack Nicklaus: It’s about understanding and staying within your abilities, focusing on what you want to achieve.

Hart: Maintaining endurance and focus for long periods is crucial. How do you do it?

Mikaela Shiffrin: Familiarity with the racing environment allows me to push my boundaries, despite the discomfort and pressure.

Hart: What does rhythm mean to you?

Bob Cousy: Rhythm is essential in sports, just like in art. Without it, the performance falls apart.

Hart: Whether on stage or court, how does intense focus contribute to your flow experience?

Cousy: We are fortunate to experience this intense form of expression and satisfaction in our respective fields. It’s rare and profoundly gratifying.

Sports and music offer unparalleled chances for expression and achieving a sense of fulfillment that many may never experience. The synergy between them, as showcased in “Rhythm Masters,” highlights this intricate connection, enriching our understanding of both disciplines.

Source: ESPN