"AIR BALL"

The unifying elements of cultural and sociological phenomena continue to fascinate and bewilder me particularly as they relate to organized sound and specifically music. Having experienced several Lady Jackets basketball games and watching them win each game, eventually going on to win the Division III title, I was struck by the slightly rude, but very entertaining crowd as it collectively disagreed with the referees' calls that went against the home team. The crowd would jump to its feet almost as one and roar its disapproval with a call or in some cases the lack of a certain call!

But the most intriguing event, and one that happened at every game was the group yell, "Air Ball." This was the result of a member of the opposing team shooting the ball, but, alas, the ball would miss the rim, net, and even the backboard, all in all a very sad event for the particular player. The audience, quickly sensing a weak moment, a moment of self-pity by the player, would figuratively pounce, and in one stunning unison begin to chant, "Air Ball, Air Ball, Air Ball."

This great choir of unison melody not only provided a great deal of entertainment for me, it also gave me a sense of wonder at the musical result. Everyone chanted the same notes in the same rhythm with nothing written down to do so. The music was a descending minor third at a tempo of quarter note equaling 72 beats per minute in 4/4 time. How is this possible without printed music and a conductor?

The distance between any two pitches (which are the result of vibration) is called an interval. A very low sound (slow vibrations) followed by a very high sound (fast vibrations) is considered a wide interval. The development of music has codified and systematized intervals into certain nomenclature based on the diatonic Western scale then generalized into what we know as do, re, me, fa, sol, la, ti, do. This means that every melody is actually a series of intervals organized in particular ways.

Keeping that in mind, there is a natural order of learning pitches that occurs in human beings at a young age. Small children gravitate naturally to the descending minor third, later adding an ascending perfect fourth, followed by a descending perfect fifth, and eventually adding a major second. If we apply a system to this order of pitches we get this: sol, mi, la, do, re, often called the 5-tone or pentatonic scale. Children do this naturally in play without the slightest knowledge of the musical implications. They just simply play and sing.

I recall being a young music teacher and hearing the neighborhood children chanting, "Bobby has a sweetheart," and getting so excited that I gathered the children around to tell them they were singing So, mi, la! I remember getting odd stares and subsequently having all the children run away!

In some ways I am not surprised that 2,000 people break into a chant on sol-mi with the words "Air Ball." What does surprise me, and I can't really explain, is how and why all sing the correct pitches in the same rhythm. The only explanation is that humans have a collective desire to rally together doing the same thing in the same way for the same result--irritating the opponent. But, nevertheless, it is a phenomenon and a stunning example of unification without leadership. Actually, the event probably demonstrates as much as anything, the vast fan support of the incredible Lady Jacket basketball team of 2008! Each game and the entire season was a pleasure and a joy that will not be forgotten.