FROM A MARINE CORPS COLONEL IN AFGHANISTAN .
"SO WITH ALL THE KINDNESS I CAN MUSTER, I GIVE THIS
ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO
THE NEXT POP STAR WHO IS ASKED TO SING THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM AT A SPORTING EVENT:
SAVE THE VOCAL GYMNASTICS AND THE PHYSICAL GYRATIONS
FOR YOUR CONCERTS. JUST SING THIS SONG THE WAY YOU WERE TAUGHT TO
SING IT IN KINDERGARTEN -STRAIGHT UP, NO STYLING. "SING IT WITH THE CONSTANT AWARENESS THAT
THERE ARE SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN AND MARINES WATCHING YOU FROM BASES AND OUTPOSTS
ALL OVER THE WORLD.
DON'T MAKE THEM CRINGE WITH YOUR SELF-CENTERED EGO
GRATIFICATION.
SING IT AS IF YOU ARE STANDING BEFORE A ROW OF
86-YEAR-OLD WWII VETS
WEARING THEIR PURPLE HEARTS, SILVER STARS AND FLAG
PINS ON THEIR CARDIGANS AND YOU WANT THEM TO BE PROUD OF YOU FOR HONORING THEM AND THE COUNTRY THEY LOVE - NOT BECAUSE YOU WANT THEM TO THINK YOU ARE A
SUPERSTAR MUSICIAN. THEY COULD SEE THAT FROM YOUR COSTUME, MAKEUP AND YOUR
ENTOURAGE.
SING 'THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER' WITH THE COURTESY
AND HUMILITY THAT TELLS THE AUDIENCE THAT IT IS ABOUT AMERICA, NOT YOU. AND PLEASE REMEMBER, NOT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE SUNG
AS A NEGRO SPIRITUAL.
WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE WEARY OF THAT. FRANCIS SCOTT KEY DOES NOT NEED ANY HELP."
SEMPER FI
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