Photo credit Laurent Majurel
Greg Patton, the truculent Team USA coach for eight editions, has a lot of surprises and anecdotes to offer. In addition to being in perfect osmosis with his group of players and the spirit of university sport, he says that tennis “is such a rhythmic sport through the various noises on the court (impact shots, referees announcements, noises players on the court) that it becomes a score. Born of a sportsman father and a mother musician, he inherited both passions, even if he admits “regret not having learned to play a musical instrument, but as we were 7 children, I I had to make a choice. The one who willingly confesses to putting music during training, because it solicits a maximum of connections in the brain, has lent itself to a very “rock’n’roll” answer question.
What style of music do you listen to?
“I like a lot of 70s rock, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones or Neil Young, who rocked my rebellious teenage years. I am also a big fan of reggae and indie-folk music, because these musics are very groovy or very melancholic.
If you had to bring only an album on a desert island?
“I would choose an Led Zeppelin album, but I would have a hard time choosing between albums II, III or IV … They have so many amazing hits! ”
What is your favorite piece?
“I listen a lot to the recovery Just like heaven of Cures by Katie Melua, she is very beautiful. I’m not always a fan of covers but this one really has something special. ”
Which music do you choose to motivate your players?
“I often put them up, stand up to Bob Marley and the Wailers. The beat is simple, it sticks perfectly to the rhythm of a tennis game and the cool side can relax the whole team. In addition, when you have to motivate people, nothing better than Get Up! ”
On the contrary, what music to relax after competitions?
“When I come home after a tournament or conferences in which I intervene, I like to put Moby, the British DJ or Angus and Julia Stone, because it is very relaxing and it removes all the stress. ”
Which concert has the most marked you?
“I had the chance to live great moments. I saw Lez Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones or Neil Young, of which I am a big fan. I have a programmer friend, who has also worked on a tour of Metallica, who regularly invites me to concerts. I even served as a driver for the Wailers, when Bob Marley came to play on my campus in Santa Barbara, when I was 20, who always wanted to wear dreadlocks!
But if I have to bring out a concert, it would be Peter Gabriel in Denver, Colorado. It was in a beautiful setting in the mountains, the changing color of the sky was as in symbiosis with the show and the lights. When he played the song about Steve Biko (opposition leader of apartheid in South Africa, imprisoned and tortured to death in 1977), I almost cried so it was moving! ”
Denis Couvelard