Posted on 03/14/2005 5:09:42 PM PST by Fizzie
The National Anthem Project Launches Today From Nation´s Capital WASHINGTON, Mar. 10 /PRNewswire/ --
WASHINGTON, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Anthem Project, a multi-year effort to re-teach Americans "The Star-Spangled Banner," launched today in Washington, D.C. The national education campaign is led by the National Association for Music Education (MENC). Mrs. Laura Bush serves as Honorary Chairperson.
The nationwide initiative is supported by the Jeep(R) brand, the project's National Presenting Sponsor. The campaign launch comes on the heels of a recent Harris Poll that shows two out of three Americans don't know the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner" and many are unaware of the historical events that inspired the penning of the song. This startling statistic prompted MENC, the world's largest arts education association and the only that addresses all facets of music education, to spearhead the project and shine the spotlight on the importance of school music programs, as this is where most Americans learn the national anthem and other patriotic songs. The multi-faceted campaign will include education initiatives in schools across the country, special performances and alliances with professional sporting events, and an extensive mobile marketing tour stopping in cities nationwide. The project is led by the project's official musical ambassadors, The Oak Ridge Boys and is supported by leading organizations across the country, including The Girls Scouts of the U.S.A., The American Legion and The History Channel.
"Today our country is calling on our music educators to restore America's voice," says John Mahlmann, Executive Director, MENC. "It is important that all Americans understand the significance of our anthem's history -- how our national anthem came to be, from the poetry of Francis Scott Key to its association with a musical tune and our country's desire to adopt an official national anthem. We want to remind all Americans to cherish our national treasures and to celebrate our unity and our values in song."
"As the Jeep brand is deeply rooted in American traditions and values, we are excited about the opportunity to be a part of the National Anthem Project and to join the National Association for Music Education in this mission to restore America's voice," said Dieter Zetsche, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Chrysler Group.
Kick Off Event and World's Largest Concert
The campaign officially kicks off today from Capitol Hill with a live performance of the national anthem by hundreds of children, including the Dorman Singers from Dorman High School in Spartanburg, S.C. and the Thomson Elementary School Choir from Washington, D.C., and will be attended by representatives from the supporting organizations. In addition, more than six million children, teachers and music supporters will participate in the World's Largest Concert today featuring American patriotic songs as well as other popular tunes. The concert will air across the United States and abroad via PBS stations and the Armed Forces Network. Local schools throughout the nation will tune in to participate at 1 p.m. EST.
One goal of the campaign is to change the practice of Americans listening to a soloist perform the anthem, particularly at special events, and to encourage everyone to sing the anthem together. "The official standards for our anthem specifically state that the song was meant to be sung together, but now many Americans don't even know the words to the song or which song is the official anthem," said Mahlmann. "Recent budget cuts to school music programs have silenced our nation, cutting off students from access to learning about our country's historical traditions. Music in schools provides the platform for citizenship that stays with us for a lifetime."
High-Level Support
The National Anthem Project is sponsored by The Jeep brand as National Presenting Sponsor and is supported by leading organizations and individuals nationwide. Supporters include Keith Lockhart, Garrison Keillor, The National Endowment for the Arts, the Congressional Arts Caucus and the White House Commission on Remembrance.
For more information about how to get involved and support the National Anthem Project and school music education, please visit http://www.thenationalanthemproject.org/ .
The National Anthem Project is supported by the following organizations: National Presenting Sponsor: Jeep brand National Anthem Project Official Musical Ambassadors: The Oak Ridge Boys Civic/Government: The American Legion, Girl Scouts of the USA, National Sojourners, Inc., The Military Family Network, The National Flag Day Foundation, Inc., Reserve Officers Association, Save America's Treasures, Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, The National Endowment for the Arts, The United States House of Representatives, The United States Department of Defense, U.S. Conference of Mayors, White House Commission on Remembrance Arts/Entertainment/Media: American Musical Salute, The American Sportscasters Association, BMI, Chorus America, Country Music Association, The History Channel, Marching Show Concepts, Inc., Mormon Tabernacle Choir Education: Alpha Delta Kappa, The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Preparation, American Association of School Administrators, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Association of School Business Officials International, Christian Educators Association International, MusicFriends, Music Teachers National Association, National Association for the Education of Young Children, National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of State Boards of Education, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Education Association, National School Boards Association, National School Public Relations Association Corporate: Executive Press Inc., Walt Disney Company Trade Associations: Association of Appliance Manufacturers, Association Managers, Inc., NAMM - International Music Products Association, National Association of Federal Credit Unions, National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association, Plumbing, Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association Celebrities: Donnie McClurkin, Garrison Keillor, Keith Lockhart, CeCe Winans About MENC
MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world's largest arts education organization, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. More than 120,000 members represent all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.
Media Contact: Lindsey Schaefer 312-339-5130 lindsey.schaefer@zenogroup.com Lisa Sabori 312-545-3845 lisa.sabori@zenogroup.com
National Association for Music Education (MENC) CONTACT: Lindsey Schaefer, +1-312-339-5130, or lindsey.schaefer@zenogroup.com , or Lisa Sabori, +1-312-545-3845, or lisa.sabori@zenogroup.com , both for National Association for Music Education (MENC)
Web site: http://www.thenationalanthemproject.org/
I hope they teach not only the lyrics, but the tune. The National Anthem has been subject to some purely pathetic "artistic license."
The worst I ever saw was about 15 years ago, at a televised boxing match. Somehow, the female singing group managed to work the words "shoo-bop shoo-bop" into the anthem.
Those are enough to have the national anthem ruled unconstitutional, aren't they?
I prefer "America the Beautiful", though we'd have to tell the PC crowd to [do something imaginative] before we could use that as the anthem.
"In God is our trust" is what Key wrote.
bump
I stand corrected.
How sad that there needs to be a project to teach the Star Spangled banner. When I was in school we alternated stanzas each day: first and second, first and third. Obviously I'm old. Let's see if the ACLU will figure out a way to go after this.
Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
OK admit it. How many of you actually knew all the words?
Remember, last year, how Howierd Dean mangled the words and tune when asked a question that he didn't like?
I just typed out the "first verse" (what I thought was the whole thing) to see if I knew it, and nailed it. But when I saw your post, I realized that I had a lot of work to do... :)
Sadly, not me...
I do however know the first verse, which is apparently something only 1/3 of us can say:(
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!Is that accurate? "Be it ever thus" and "beloved homes" would fit better. And it seems like "Then conquer we must" seems like it could use another syllable as well.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.... Oh say can BOOM CRASH By the dawn's ear-BOOM CRASH What so proudly BOOM CRASH At the twilight's last gleaming.Anyone remember that?
I'm so glad they're doing this! This is much better than trying to get rid of our anthem, claiming it is "too hard" to sing, which is what was going around a year or so ago. Our anthem is not, in fact, particularly hard to sing, IF you are used to singing anything at all. Sadly, most younger people are completely unfamiliar with singing anything that has any kind of a tune.
Bump!!!!
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