Sing the Anthem
So, I was busy last night when Christina Aguilera butchered the Star Spangled Banner. But I heard about it. And have seen video of it after the fact.
My first reaction is to feel badly for her. I am a singer and public speaker. And I know the pressures of performing in front of others on a tiny scale. I can't imagine what it would be like to goof up something in front of that many people.
But my second reaction is to think more broadly about our anthem. The national anthem has become like so many things in American culture: something we sub out to the professionals. That ain't right. It's our anthem. It belongs to us. Why don't WE sing it? Aguilera grew up -- as I did -- attending events where the singing of the anthem was done by someone else. And that's a pity.
Compare that to this clip from an Edmonton Oilers hockey game:
Now, I'm sure that under pressure, those people could totally forget the words to the anthem, too. But if we grew up actually singing the anthem, don't you think those words would be in our bones much more so than they are now? Better yet, let's stop having professionals sing the anthem and just get the crowd to do it. 100,000 people belting out the anthem at the top of their lungs? Move over Whitney Houston -- THAT would give me goosebumps.
Maybe our anthem isn't all that singable. Maybe the vocal range is too great for the average singer. I have my doubts -- the Canadian anthem seems to have a similarly demanding vocal range. But maybe it's just too hard for the average Joe to sing. Then change it. Maybe it would be more fun to sing about America the Beautiful than the flag anyway. Either way, I think it's time for Americans to take back the anthem and sing it for ourselves. Respectful silence has it's place. But not during the 90 second celebration of America that the anthem is supposed to be. Belt it out, people. Let the professionals sing at half time.
And that's the news from Browerville.
My first reaction is to feel badly for her. I am a singer and public speaker. And I know the pressures of performing in front of others on a tiny scale. I can't imagine what it would be like to goof up something in front of that many people.
But my second reaction is to think more broadly about our anthem. The national anthem has become like so many things in American culture: something we sub out to the professionals. That ain't right. It's our anthem. It belongs to us. Why don't WE sing it? Aguilera grew up -- as I did -- attending events where the singing of the anthem was done by someone else. And that's a pity.
Compare that to this clip from an Edmonton Oilers hockey game:
Now, I'm sure that under pressure, those people could totally forget the words to the anthem, too. But if we grew up actually singing the anthem, don't you think those words would be in our bones much more so than they are now? Better yet, let's stop having professionals sing the anthem and just get the crowd to do it. 100,000 people belting out the anthem at the top of their lungs? Move over Whitney Houston -- THAT would give me goosebumps.
Maybe our anthem isn't all that singable. Maybe the vocal range is too great for the average singer. I have my doubts -- the Canadian anthem seems to have a similarly demanding vocal range. But maybe it's just too hard for the average Joe to sing. Then change it. Maybe it would be more fun to sing about America the Beautiful than the flag anyway. Either way, I think it's time for Americans to take back the anthem and sing it for ourselves. Respectful silence has it's place. But not during the 90 second celebration of America that the anthem is supposed to be. Belt it out, people. Let the professionals sing at half time.
And that's the news from Browerville.
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