National Anthem Project
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The National Anthem Project was launched in 2005 to raise awareness of the importance of music education within the United States by MENC: The National Association for Music Education. The Project is recognized as a "Save America's Treasures" Project with The National Trust, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, and honored with the prestigious ASAE Summit Award given to associations that implement new and innovative, community-based programs.
MENC: The National Association for Music Education is a national organization for all aspects of music education in the United States. With more than 120,000 members, MENC works to improve every American student's access to a well-balanced, quality music education taught by highly qualified teachers. As the world's largest arts education organization, MENC has advocated for the establishment of music education as a profession, for music's designation as a core subject in the American public school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education. MENC's advocacy is an outgrowth of its mission: To advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music by all.
The support of the 51 state-level MENC affiliates has been an essential component to the success of the Project. Their contributions have included print and electronic publication, state and regional conference presence for the Project, public statements of support and key advisement on Project goals and methods.
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[edit] Project Purpose
Nearly two out of three Americans (61 percent) don’t know all of the words to our National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, according to a recent Harris Interactive® survey. Three in four Americans say school is where they learned the anthem and other patriotic songs. In fact, music class is where students learn key elements of American history and tales of United States heritage. Yet, the survey showed that only 39 percent of Americans could complete the third line of the Star Spangled banner correctly with “…through the perilous fight.”
Nationwide, music programs have experienced extensive funding cuts over the past several years. On average only four percent of the $450 billion spent on teaching our children goes to music, which means 55 percent of our students aren't getting adequate music education. And while local school boards struggle to close ongoing budget gaps and meet new federal requirements, music continues to be cut in districts across the country. “When these programs are cut out of public schools, we’re not simply depriving our children of music, but hindering the teaching of our nation’s history and heritage,” says Mahlmann. “Learning patriotic songs helps our children form bonds with their communities and instills pride in the American ideals we all hold close to our hearts – freedom, liberty and equality.”
The greater exposure children have to school music classes directly impacts their community involvement as adults. The survey revealed that those with more music in school as children were further inclined to describe themselves as creative, a leader and “an American" versus those who only had one year or less of music class.
The study also showed direct links to music education and volunteerism. More than two in five (41 percent) adults who had at least five years of music volunteer, while only one in five (18 percent) adults who received less than one year of music volunteer. The National Anthem Project has been warmly received by many American school music teachers, students, and communities.
[edit] Strategy
The National Anthem Project is a multi-media public education to spotlight the importance of music education. The Project promotes this message through a variety of outlets including radio public service announcements, public performances including the hugely popular National Anthem Project Day each September 14th, support from Congress including Congressional Resolutions and public statements of support, the National Anthem Project Road Show which toured every state in the union bringing an interactive, multi-disciplinary experience to students, parents, and communities around the country, and the grand finale coming in summer 2007 where thousands of students will converge on the nation's capital in Washington, DC to perform en masse on the National Mall and individually with their schools at designated national monuments around the city. The Project has received huge support at each stop around the country, as well as print and electronic media coverage in hundreds of markets.
[edit] Process
With the support of Jeep and other corporate sponsors, The National Anthem Project toured the USA in 2006, making "Road Show" stops in every state. The Road Shows featured performances of all kinds of music by student ensembles. Visitors were encouraged to try singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" solo to test themselves on the lyrics. At each stop, one singer was designated the best and given $1000 to donate to the local school music program of his or her choice.
With the end of the Road Show, the National Anthem Project focuses on the planned Grand Finale in Washington, DC, June 14-16, 2007, which will feature a world-record-achieving performance of the national anthem on the National Mall.
Chaired by First Lady Laura Bush, and sponsored by various educational, community, and corporate organizations, the National Anthem Project is among the largest arts education partnership projects ever devised. Initially, some feedback received by MENC indicated there were some who were dissatisfied with the choice of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the focus for the campaign because they were unhappy with the song itself. Some requested the focus of the campaign change from encouraging the importance of music education to changing the national anthem. This was argued for reasons such as its perceived difficulty to sing due to range, or its lyrics which some consider militaristic, and the melody which some felt was uninteresting.
In addition, some academics removed from public school music education have expressed concerns regarding the project's implications, including whether American public school music teachers should lead students during wartime in activities involving "The Star-Spangled Banner" and its lyrics (e.g. "conquer we must, when our cause it is just, let this be our motto"). Some perceive that the project's emphasis on this single song offers limited musical benefits to music students and may run counter to key concepts in the education field. Other concerns about the continued presence of corporate sponsors in education have been heard. Despite heavy publicity in local and national venues for the importance of music education, some continue to question the value of this project in terms of measurable benefits for public school music.
MENC continues to remind all those interested that the project's goal is to bring attention to the importance of music education through school and community performances and educational sessions. Part of how this is accomplished is through encouraging public group singing of the anthem, which at sporting events in particular has become something of a showcase for solo singers.
[edit] Opposition to the National Anthem Project
Many music education professors and school music teachers in the USA and abroad oppose the National Anthem Project, and their concerns have been documented in several publications and conference presentations (see Further Reading section below for examples). Collectively, their concerns include the following ten points:
- (1) The National Anthem Project may increase singing of the “Star Spangled Banner”, but is unlikely to lead to improvements in music education. Like the “Mozart Effect,” use of the National Anthem Project for music advocacy brings greater attention to the work of music educators and music organization leaders, but it also denigrates music education by promoting the educational use of music as a tool for non-musical objectives (math achievement in one case, patriotism in the other).
- (2) The National Anthem Project advocates a narrowing of the curriculum by placing unprecedented emphasis on the patriotic music genre, and one song in particular. To the contrary, leading music education scholars advocate for a broadening of the music curriculum.
- (3) The National Anthem Project encourages American music teachers to focus on content and coverage rather than musical skills and understandings in their curriculum, an approach that is contrary to contemporary theories of instructional design.
- (4) The Star Spangled Banner has long been contested as an appropriate national anthem for the United States. Its melody is borrowed directly from an old drinking song “To Anacreon in Heaven”, and it features the most militaristic lyrics of all major national anthems in the world, with phrases such as “bombs bursting in air”, “conquer we must, when our cause it is just, let this be our motto”, etc. Rather than promoting this song, the largest arts educators organization could advocate for a song that is both lyrically and musically appropriate relative to other national anthems in the world (such as “America the Beautiful”).
- (5) Despite recent statements made on behalf of the National Anthem Project, its objectives have much more to do with patriotism than music. Chaired by First Lady Laura Bush, and sponsored by the American military, The National Anthem Project was launched during a highly controversial war with the following announcement on MENC’s homepage: “MENC is sponsoring The National Anthem to revive America's patriotism by educating Americans about the importance of The Star Spangled Banner-both the flag and the song.” Note that only the final word of this statement had anything to do with music.
- (6) Philosophers, from ancient times to the present, have suggested that uncritical nationalistic patriotism is rarely a virtue, and contemporary thinkers consider it to be an attitude that should not be deliberately instilled among students in a democracy if the purpose of education is to foster independent and creative thinkers.
- (7) The National Anthem Project facilitates the promotion of a corporate agenda in public schools, complete with company logos that clearly qualify as advertising. This kind of practice has been strongly criticized in numerous publications.
- (8) Since the National Anthem Project is unlikely to directly result in either a higher quality of music teaching or improved working conditions and job opportunities for American music teachers, it has very little to do with the raison d’etre or stated objectives of music education organizations. Music educator organizations exist for the purpose of strengthening music education, not patriotism.
- (9) With its emphasis on patriotic music, the spirit of the National Anthem Project appears to run counter to key concepts in the education field, such as peace studies, multiculturalism, and international education (see UNESCO's 2006 statement on arts education below).
- (10) Supporters of the National Anthem Project claim that the reason few Americans can remember all the words to the anthem is that music programs have been cut from public schools, and that therefore music programs must be retained so American heritage is preserved. They neglect to mention the following points: (a) lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner are notoriously awkward and difficult to remember, including historical terms that most children fail to comprehend, (b) many American school music programs emphasize instrumental music for which song lyrics are irrelevant, (c) for decades, many American students have learned the anthem in “civics”, “social studies”, or “home room” courses, rather than from school music programs, (d) the inability to remember all the words of the Star Spangled Banner is not a reliable indication of inadequate music instruction since many musicians – and music teachers – also do not know all the words to this song, (e) none of the leading music education philosophers have suggested that the instilling of patriotism should be an objective for music education in American public schools, and are clearly opposed to this project.
[edit] External Links
- The National Anthem Project
- Schools Sing to Show Patriotism
- Martha Nussbaum - Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism
- Simon Keller - Patriotism as Bad Faith
- Emma Goldman - Patriotism: A Menace to Liberty
[edit] Further Reading
BOOKS:
- Boutwell, Clinton E. (1997). Shell Game: Corporate America's Agenda for Schools. Phi Delta Kappa.
- Brown, Steven (2006). Music and Manipulation: On the Social Uses and Social Control of Music. Berghahn Books.
- Franklin, M.I. (2005). Resounding International Relations: On Music, Culture, and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Heller, Dana (2005). The Selling of 9/11: How a National Tragedy Became a Commodity. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Jorgensen, Estelle R. (2003). Transforming Music Education. Indiana University Press.
- Koza, Julia (2003). Stepping Across: Four Interdisciplinary Studies of Education and Cultural Politics. Peter Lang.
- Levine, Marsha & Trachtman, Roberta, Ed. (1988). American Business and the Public School: Case Studies of Corporate Involvement in Public Education. Columbia University Teacher's College.
- Russell, Bertrand (1984). Education & The Social Order. Unwin Paperbacks.
- Saltmann, Kenneth J. (2000). Collateral Damage: Corporatizing Public Schools - A Threat To Democracy. Rowman & Littlefield.
- Woodford, Paul G. (2005). Democracy and Music Education: Liberalism, Ethics, and the Politics of Practice. Indiana University Press.
ARTICLES:
- Allsup, Randall (2004). Imagining Possibilities in a Global World: Music, Learning, and Rapid Change. Music Education Research, 6(2).
- Apple, Michael (2002). Patriotism, Pedagogy, and Freedom: On the Educational Meanings of September 11th. Teachers College Record, 104(8).
- Ayers, William (2006, November). Toward a Fuller Humanity (Patriotism and Education Revisited). Phi Delta Kappan, 88(3), p. 237.
- Beegle, Amy (2004). American Music Education 1941-1946: Meeting Needs and Making Adjustments During World War II. Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, 26.
- Beegle, Amy (2005). Patriotism and Music Education in the United States of America. Proceedings of the Fifth Asia-Pacific Symposium for Music Education Research.
- Beegle, Amy & Campbell, Patricia Shehan (2002). Teaching Music to Children in Times of Crisis. Orff Echo, 34.
- Brubaker, R. (2004). In the Name of the Nation: Reflections on Nationalism and Patriotism. Citizenship Studies, 8(2).
- Brueggemann, W. (2003). Patriotism for Citizens of the Penultimate Superpower. Dialog, 42(4).
- Duffee, R. (2003). Patriotism in the Age of Investors. Peace Review, 15(4).
- Gee, Constance (2002). The “Use” and “Abuse” of Arts Advocacy and its Consequences for Music Education. New Handbook of Research on Music Teaching and Learning (R. Colwell & C. Richardson, Eds.), Oxford University Press.
- Hebert, David G. (2006). Rethinking Patriotism: National Anthems in Music Education. Asia-Pacific Journal for Arts Education, 4(1).
- Jensen, R. (2003). Patriotism’s a Bad Idea at a Dangerous Time. Peace Review, 15(4).
- Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra (2005). The Pied Piper of Hamlin: Adorno on Music Education. Research Studies in Music Education, 25.
- Mahlmann, John J. [MENC Executive Director] (2004). On A Mission with MENC - More than a Song: Music Education and the National Anthem. Music Educators Journal, 91(1).
- Meizel, Katherine (2006, December). A Singing Citizenry: Popular Music and Civil Religion in America. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 45(4), p. 497.
- Mitsikopoulou, B. (2005). The Iraq War as Curricular Knowledge: From the Political to the Pedagogic Divide. Journal of Language and Politics, 4(1).
- O’Brien, Tom (2002, January). The Importance of Being Earnest. Arts Education Policy Review, 103(3), p.35.
- Quiong, L. (2004). What Does It Mean to Be an American?: Patriotism, Nationalism, and American Identity After 9/11. Political Psychology, 25(5).
- Schweber, S. (2006). Fundamentally 9/11: The Fashioning of Collective Memory in a Christian School. American Journal of Education, 112.
- Steinert, H. (2003). Unspeakable September 11th: Taken for Granted Assumptions, Selective Reality Construction and Populist Politics. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 27(3).
- Stinespring, John A. (2001, March). Preventing Art Education from Becoming “a Handmaiden to the Social Studies”. Arts Education Policy Review, 102(4), p.11.
- Strachan, H. (2006). Training, Morale and Modern War. Journal of Contemporary History, 41.
- UNESCO (2006, March 6). 2006 Joint Declaration of the UNESCO World Arts Conference (pdf), United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved on 2006-07-1.
[edit] Project Sponsors
National Presenting Sponsor - The Jeep® brand
National Music Industry Sponsor - NAMM, the International Music Products Association
National Sponsors
- Eventive Marketing - Gibson Musical Instruments - The History Channel - Bank of America - Conn-Selmer, Inc. - ASCAP
[edit] Project Supporters
Honorary Chairperson - Mrs. Laura Bush
Official Musical Ambassadors - The Oakridge Boys
Congressional Honorary Sponsors - Maryland Senators Barbara Mikulski and Paul Sarbanes; Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chairs: Rep. Louise Slaughter (NY) and Rep. Christopher Shays (CT); Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (MD), Rep. Ben Cardin (MD), Rep. Elijah Cummings (MD), Rep. Tom Davis (VA), Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (MD), Rep. Steny Hoyer (MD), Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD), Rep. Jim Moran (VA), Rep. Albert Wynn (MD), Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL), Rep. W. Todd Akin (MO), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (TN), Rep. Kevin Brady (TX), Rep. Jim Cooper (TN), Rep. David Dreier (CA), Rep. Tom Feeney (FL), Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC), Rep. Sam Johnson (TX), Rep. Dennis Moore (KS), Rep. Ted Poe (TX), Rep. George Radanovich (CA), Rep. John Shadegg (AZ), Rep. Dave Weldon (FL)
National Anthem Project All-Star States
Alabama (Governor Proclamation, State Resolution)
Arkansas (Governor Proclamation)
California (Governor Proclamation, State Resolution)
Connecticut (Governor Proclamation)
Georgia (State Resolution)
Hawaii (Governor Proclamation)
Michigan (Governor Proclamation)
Minnesota (Governor Proclamation)
Mississippi (Governor Proclamation 2005, Governor Proclamation 2006)
Nebraska (Governor Proclamation, State Resolution)
New Jersey (Governor Proclamation)
Nevada (Governor Proclamation)
North Dakota (Governor Proclamation)
Ohio (Governor Proclamation)
Oklahoma (State Resolution)
Pennsylvania (State Resolution)
South Carolina (Governor Proclamation)
Virginia (Governor Proclamation)
Wisconsin (Governor Proclamation)
Wyoming (State Resolution)
National Anthem Project All Star Cities
Arizona: Apache Junction, Scottsdale
California: Alhambra, Brea, Chino Hills, Chula Vista, Encinitas, Fountain Valley, Laguna Niguel, Lompoc, Morgan Hill, Palm Springs, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Rafael, South San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Temecula, Temple City, Tustin, Vallejo
Connecticut: Brooklyn, Danbury, East Haven, East Windsor, Meriden, Suffield, West Hartford, West Haven, Woodbury
District of Columbia
Florida: Deltona, Dunedin, Hollywood, Homestead, Largo, Lauderhill, Margate, North Miami, Palm Bay, Pinellas Park, Port Orange, Safety Harbor
Georgia: Bainbridge, Columbus, East Point, Savannah
Iowa: Sioux City
Idaho: Nampa
Illinois: Buffalo Grove, Hoffman Estates, Lombard, Park Ridge, Streamwood
Indiana: Boonville, Columbus, Elkhart, Fort Wayne, Rensselaer
Kansas: Kensington
Louisiana: Bossier City, Lake Charles
Maine: Auburn
Massachusetts: Franklin, Leominster, Lynn, Salem, Westfield
Maryland: Breezy Point Beach, Frederick
Michigan: Jackson, Westland
Minnesota: Shoreview
Missouri: St. Louis, St. Peters
Montana: Billings
Nebraska: Broken Bow, Columbus, Norfolk
Nevada: Boulder City, Fallon, Henderson, Las Vegas
New Hampshire: Concord
New Jersey: Hope Township, Howell Township, Trenton, Wilingboro
New York: Troy, Utica
North Carolina: Jacksonville
North Dakota: Fargo, Mayville, Portland
Ohio: Akron, Cambridge, Canton, Chillicothe, Columbus, Commercial Point, Gahanna, Independence, Kettering, Mansfield, Newark, North Olmstead, University Heights, West Carrollton
Oklahoma: Edmond
Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh
Puerto Rico: Cabo Rojo
Rhode Island: North Providence, Warwick
South Carolina: Charleston, Rock Hill
Tennessee: Cleveland, Hendersonville
Texas: Hurst, Nacogdoches, San Marcos
Virginia: Chesapeake, Manassas, Portsmouth
Washington: Bellevue, Pasco, Renton
Wisconsin: Franklin, Green Bay, Hartford, West Allis
Supporting Organizations
Civic/Government
American Independence Foundation
The American Legion
Flags Across the Nation
Girl Scouts of the USA
Masonic Service Association of North America
The Military Family Network
The Military Order of the Purple Heart
The Military Order of the World Wars
Minnesota Masonic Charities
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Flag Day Foundation, Inc.
National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
National Sojourners, Inc.
Of Thee We Sing
Reserve Officers Association
Save America's Treasures
Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History
Temecula Valley Young Marines
The United States Department of Defense
The United States House of Representatives
U.S. Conferences of Mayors
White House Commission on Remembrance
Arts/Entertainment/Media/Sports
The American Sportscasters Association
Barbershop Harmony Society
BMI
Carry-a-Tune Technologies
Chorus America
Clear Channel Communications
Country Music Association
The Grammy Foundation
The Kansas City Royals
Marching Show Concepts, Inc.
Marmel Entertainment
Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Mrs. America, Inc.
National Endowment for the Arts
National Federation of Music Clubs
Sound Choice
The Victor Awards
VSA arts
97.1 WASH-FM
Education
Alpha Delta Kappa
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Preparation
American Association of School Administrators
American Association of School Librarians
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Association of School Business Officials International
Christian Educators Association International
Drum Corps 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 State Boards of Education
National Association of Secondary School Principals
National Education Association
National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
National PTA
National School Boards Association
National School Public Relations Association
Technology Student Association
Corporate
Executive Press Inc.
Walt Disney Company
Trade Associations
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
Association Managers, Inc.
Association of Appliance Manufacturers
National Association of Federal Credit Unions
National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association
Plumbing, Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association
Celebrities
Julie Love Templeton, Mrs. America 2005
Garrison Keillor
Keith Lockhart
Florence Henderson
Kevin Sorbo
Donnie McClurkin
CeCe Winans
Individual Donors
The Joseph W. Donner Fund
