If you can't play/sing it, don't try

When I was in 8th grade, my social studies teacher made us memorize the words to the "Star Spangled Banner". Our test was to get up in front of the class and sing it. As you can imagine, none of us had the best of voices, but that wasn't the point. WE weren't performing it in public. This leads me to the pint of this post.

In my days as a band student and director, I've heard some bad renditions of the National Anthem, but last night took the cake. It wasn't bad enough it was a non-home home game (the other school doesn't have a field, so it was a home game for them), but they butchered the SSB. On top of it being just God-awful, they tried to put all those necessary runs and stuff that overachieving singers do.

The principal (a veteran, btw) said he was highly offended by their rendition. The head director and I were trying not crack up at how bad it was....gotta be professional, y'know? The band was about to but into laughter, though. They held it in, though. --whew--

Now, I'm not going to sit here and say anything such as, they don't have the right to play it because they're not that good. If I was going to say that, then that would go for everything they played all night. However, there are some things that should be done with...a certain reverence, respect, and decorum.

You don't have to be the best to sing or play the thing, but it does have to be recognizable. I can imagine that Francis Scott Key was turning over in his grave after hearing what they did to his music.

Ugh! I feel dirty for having listened to that tonight. Maybe they should just go with a recording next time.