Teaching Music, August 2005, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 24-26. Copyright © 2005 by MENC.

Eureka! Students Lead Sports Crowd in Anthem Singing

By Rosalind Fehr, news editor, Teaching Music.

     On March 10, 2005, MENC launched The National Anthem Project: Restoring Ameri-
ca’s Voice, which was nationally televised on Good Morning America from the U.S. Capitol grounds. Soon, MENC will kick off a national mobile marketing tour that may bring The National Anthem Project to a town near you.
     If you go to the project Web site, www.thenationalanthemproject.org, you’ll find ample evidence that music educators are already getting across the message of the importance of America’s musical heritage.
     On the Web site bulletin board, Todd Stalter, director of bands at Eureka High School in Eureka, Illinois, gave one example of students who have learned that lesson well.
     He wrote “On Tuesday, March 8, our Hornets boys’ basketball team competed in the Illinois High School Association’s Supersectional game at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University. The winner of this game became an Elite 8 team and played for the Class A State Championship in Peoria.
     “Prior to the game, the public address announcer asked the audience to stand for the national anthem. The crowd waited for the anthem to start, but there was only silence. After a few moments of anticipation, the announcer said that due to technical difficulties, there would be no performance of the national anthem. The crowd groaned and began to get agitated, but all of sudden a group in our student section began to sing the anthem loud and strong, and before long the entire stadium was singing along. The applause afterward was energetic and enthusiastic, and many people were moved by this spontaneous outpouring of national pride and respect.”
     Stalter, an MENC member since 1991, said Eureka High School has an enrollment of 510 and a strong music program, with 100 students participating in band, when he spoke to Teaching Music in May.
     “Since I also teach K–4 general music at our largest elementary school, I include [the anthem] in the curriculum (teaching its history as well as singing it) in the third and fourth grades. The third grade does a spectacular program every spring called We Love America that uses many patriotic songs, of which ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ is one.
     “We, of course, use ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ in the high school band program regularly, and the marching band plays it before every football game. The pep band plays it before every basketball game, and our concert band plays the beautiful Jack Stamp arrangement of it to begin each concert.”
     Opposing coaches call Eureka “The World’s Most Dangerous Pep Band” for the way they “rock the Hornet’s nest” for boys’ and girls’ basketball games. Tournament rules do not permit pep bands late in the playoffs, so the band was not playing the night of the a cappella performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” And the outcome of that March playoff game? “We did win that game, but lost in the Elite 8 three days later,” Stalter said.
     Sporting events will play a role as The National Anthem Project emphasizes patriotic songs and the importance of music education over the next three years. Some music teachers already report that the project is raising the profile of music education in their communities, which is one of the project’s goals.
     One teacher, Jim C., posted
the following message on The National Anthem Project Web
site bulletin board:
     “I teach in a rural, conservative community. For years, my music program has been, at best, ignored. At the worst times, I’ve had to fight to keep my job.
     “This project has caught the attention of my students and administration like nothing I’ve ever done before. Suddenly, my principal is interested in what I’m doing. My community understands that what I do has value.
     “To me, that translates into more support for teaching musical skill and knowledge. I think it’s important to look at the big picture of this project as an opportunity to impress upon those who would normally ignore us that music education is a vital part of their children’s lives, and that music teachers are integral to that.”
     If you would like to participate in The National Anthem Project and need some help to make a case for participation, see some “talking points” on the pullout card included with this article.
     In addition to the online bulletin board, The National Anthem Project Web site offers more information on the project, project items available for sale, a list of current sponsoring organizations, and teacher lesson plans.
     MENC also offers the book It Works for Me: The National Anthem and Other Patriotic Music in the Classroom, a collection of tried-and-true ideas from MENC members all over the United States. More than 100 music teachers describe how they connect patriotic music with historical events, help students learn lyrics, conquer musical challenges, and reach out to the school and the community using patriotic music.

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