In a unique mashup, the Montclair State University Symphony Orchestra performed in a teaser for Monday night football on ESPN Monday evening, November 8.

The teaser, titled Captions, juxtaposes the orchestra playing a classic piece with footage of some of the greatest soccer players just before the Pittsburgh Steelers / Chicago Bears game, then cuts to the current generation of soccer players and shots of the orchestra playing his interpretation of Legend by The score.

Nathaniel Williams, a music education student from Newark, New Jersey, was among the highlighted students, happily playing his electric violin. He was walking home on the bus when he logged into ESPN seconds before the ad aired.

“It’s so crazy because I’m a huge football fan and rarely watch before kick-off,” he says. “I was more than excited. When I saw the orchestra and the photos of me on the violin, I showed it to the person I was sitting next to.

The play was shot in October, when ESPN hit campus, in large part because of Montclair’s reputation as “East Coast Hollywood.” The College of the Arts, through its Broadcast and Media Operations Department, provides localization and production services to the film and television industry.

In the past eight months, Equalizer, Wu-Tang Clan (Hulu), Means and methods (CBS pilot with Patrick Dempsey) and an independent film for BET were all shot on campus. Commercial clients have included Google, Pfizer, and Charles Schwab, among many others. “Montclair State is the only university in the tri-state region to deal with professional film and television production at this level,” said Daniel Gurskis, dean of the College of the Arts.

“Because of our reputation, ESPN came to call us,” Gurskis said. “And because we’re getting things done quickly, they made contact on Monday, spotted the Kasser as the venue on Tuesday, and booked the theater the next day for the following week. Tony Mazzocchi, director of the School of Music, quickly moved a planned orchestral rehearsal in the Kasser for the shooting. Adjunct Professor Stacy Gitlin brought in students from the School of Communication and Media to observe the shoot in the theater and interview the Creative Director for a documentary on the process.

ESPN Monday night football has millions of viewers depending on the game – with some recent games having seen over 14 million viewers, the Steelers-Bears match promised to be a much-watched game.

He has certainly been seen by many family and friends in Williams’ circle. “I promise my phone kept ringing with congratulatory feelings,” he said. “Even for a one-minute pre-game commercial, it’s a great moment that I’ll never forget.”