MILTON, Ont. — It's not the scenario that immediately comes to mind when one thinks of the sporting spotlight. But it's one in which Rick Imus has become awfully familiar.
The well-known Milton musician and studio owner/operator has carved out a unique niche by captivating audiences with his renditions of national anthems from across the globe, performing with his electric guitar — or other instruments — at stadiums and sporting events as far away as New Zealand.
“It seemed like a natural fit for someone who came out of a sporting background,” Imus said, naming travel possibility as one of the perks of his musical endeavours. “And for the briefest of moments, you get to be the centre of attention.”
Imus began doing the national anthem to make meaningful contributions to local and national sports teams. His extensive repertoire, now, includes anthems of the U.S., South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Kenya, Haiti, Ireland, Mexico and more — for the Professional Box Lacrosse Association, Frontier Baseball League and North American Box Lacrosse League, to name a few.
Among the most memorable experiences was performing at the Australian Baseball League shortly before the global pandemic shutdown in 2020.
“At the time, (South) Korea had a team based in Australia and they had a four-game series in New Zealand. So I played the Korean anthem, the Australian anthem, and the New Zealand anthem,” he said of his trip to Auckland.
Imus has also been working with the Arena Lacrosse League for the past two years, playing the Haudenosaunee anthem alongside “O Canada” for Six Nations. Navigating the sensitivities and protocols required approval from the elders and the language commission.
“I was really grateful for the opportunity,” he said.
Imus explained that most national anthems are “mercifully” in the middle range by design so they can be sung by just about everyone. Preparing for his performances varies greatly and could take up to a few months, especially one he hasn’t done before.
“The first step is to get the pieces and then do a video on my own here at the studio, and then you've got some sort of audition credentials, and then do it in public,” he said.
He often can be seen practising songs at “open mics” and recording them.
“I volunteer at the hospital in the piano area. So patients may have heard me play these tunes as I get ready for these things. So anything where I have to put myself on the spot after I've got enough traction with these tunes, just makes me a little more bulletproof when it comes to playing in a different environment or a different stadium or when the lights and cameras are on."
An upcoming performance of the Colombian anthem at the Transatlantic Cup for Australian Rules Football is a whole different ball game.
“This thing is a tiger by the tail, I really have to drill down on this one, it's a longer one, it's got about five sections to it. And it's a peppy little piece, so I have to be on my toes,” he said. There, he’ll also be performing anthems of Ireland, Great Britain and France.
The challenge is what makes it more enjoyable for him.
“It’s very much my happy place,” he said. “I enjoy challenging myself with these things.”
His journey has also taken him to the world’s oldest ballpark.
“For a baseball fan, it's a big deal to play at Labatt Park in London, Ontario. They’ve been playing since 1877.”
Drawing from his unique experiences, Imus hopes to inspire other musicians to “blue sky the possibilities.”
“That it can be done at a high level, it can be done with high profile, and yet it's still a humbling thing to represent a country sonically. These are sonic emblems for countries,” he said.
With more events coming, there’s one that he’d like to check off his list.
"It would be cool to do something for a head of state at some point,” he said.