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Have you ever thought wow the music just does not sound great at a halftime show concert? Well here is my experience working the 2001 Superbowl Half time show and hopefully, it will teach you something you never thought about from an inside perspective. for me the 2001  Superbowl will be a day/night I will never forget. A group of us spent two weeks in Tampa recruiting to get 4,000 18/25 years olds for the field. We meet Sunday Afternoon at a high school and I was on the first bus out of 80. It was like a parade people stood outside there homes waving us on. We got to the stadium and they handed us these pink field pass necklaces we could not keep. Some big drunk guy tried to pull my pass off of me and I had to yell for security as I walked into the stadium with the kids behind me. We got into the tunnel it was cold outside but sweaty and hot in the tunnel with 750 of us. They started to bring the stage out. They only have 2 minutes 30 seconds to get it to the field and secured into place. It was amazing to see over 100 people carry the stage and sit underneath it. They get danced on, have to listen to loud music and sound vibrations while they are sitting underneath for the entire half time show.  Back in the tunnel my crew had to make a chain as Brittany Spears, Nelly, Missy Elliott and Aerosmith walked by. To hold the kids back. For my friends that know the story,  Yes Steven Tyler kissed me on the check and said "California girl your in the wrong state" but that was at rehearsal 2 nights before. Superbowl night he just waved at me when he walked by. We ran with the kids onto the field.All these white lights flashed it took me a few seconds to realize those were camera flashes. I was assigned to stay towards the back by my tunnel in case there were issues so I ended up standing and dancing with Brittney Spears mom.  Once the show ended there were 7 kids that were left when the football players started running out. I was told we needed to stay on the side of the field to keep those kids safe. Darn the luck just kidding  lucky us  got to stand to the side and watch a few seconds of the second quarter before I had permission to take them to the bus. I was the only crew member who got to stay with some mtv executives. The experience gave me a lifetime memory I am so grateful for I've been so blessed getting to do somethings very few people in the world have experienced. What people do not realize it all comes from hard work. I would never have been in that position and get to do the things I did if I did not work hard and apply myself. Enjoy the Superbowl today but think of all the people working behind the scenes sitting under the stage etc.... That you probably didn't even realize. that to put that stage up in 2 minutes is a big reason the sound is not the same as a regular concert where they spend hours getting the sound.right! Think of them bent down and being having to feel the pounding of dancing feet. We all have amazing experiences in life but sometimes we need to look at the whole picture instead of complain about the way something looks or sounds. It is a amazing thing they can put that show together and get the stage taken down between the game. This link is to that 2001 halftime show, look for the white flashing lights.

https://youtu.be/XXiUlnRJqps

Written by Tammy Murphy Revard who has worked on over 150 award shows including The Emmys and Grammys