UPDATE: the entire Poets & Patriots Live recital is now available on Youtube — click here! To celebrate “George Washington’s Birthday” (aka. Presidents’ Day), the University of Michigan’s American Music Institute with the Star Spangled Music Foundation presents Poets & Patriots Live! a lecture recital at U-Michigan’s North Campus “Stamps Auditorium” (1226 Murfin Ave. /…
Author: starspangled
Francis Scott Key & George Washington's Birthday (aka. Presidents Day?)
NOTE: In celebration of George Washington’s Birthday, the Star Spangled Music Foundation will present Poets & Patriots in recital at Stamps Auditorium on the University of Michigan’s north campus at 8:00 p.m. Click here for more information. The wandering apostrophe in the name of Presidents’ Day / President’s Day / Presidents Day has a logical…
Poets & Patriots Recital—Live Stream & CD Release on Feb. 17
Join us on Monday, February 17 at 8:00 p.m. to celebrate the release of our landmark recording project—Poets & Patriots: A Tuneful History of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The recital will be streamed live via uStream (click here) and anyone near the University of Michigan’s campus can see the show live at Stamps Auditorium on Michigan’s…
An Inspiring Anthem from Resounding Joy
SSMF Executive Director Susan Key recently had the opportunity to speak with Rebecca Vaudreuil, a student in Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and national military liaison to the music therapy organization Resounding Joy, about a very special rendition of the Banner… http://youtu.be/e3UEagpfeUM?t=1m29s On August 10, 2013, Rebecca and United States Marine Corps Sgt, Retired, Benjamin Tourtelot,…
Year 200 Guest Post—On Teaching “The Star-Spangled Banner” in American Studies and Music Courses by Will Fulton
For Music in the U.S.: A Cultural Perspective, an interdisciplinary course that is cross-listed in American Studies and Music, I scheduled the opening unit on “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In beginning the course with the “Banner,” my aim was to examine changing performance practices of the anthem, and to explore ways that different performances of this…
A Banner Year Is Here!
2014 begins the eight and a half month run up to the 200th birthday of the U.S national anthem—”The Star Spangled Banner”! The Star Spangled Music Foundation and its partners have developed an exciting year of exhibits, performances, publications and educational initiatives. Many of our events will be webcast and available to viewers across the…
Year 199 Guest Post—Sheryl Kaskowitz on "Songs as History"
What can we learn from a song? This is a question I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, as the 75th anniversary of the radio premiere of “God Bless America” (click here) was approaching. I’ve noticed press about a few other diamond anniversaries that put the song’s debut in historical context, recapturing significant moments from…
Indiegogo Success! K-12 Campaign Breaks through Goal!
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS!!! Our “TeachSSB200!” Indiegogo campaign has been a huge success with $13,497 raised from 144 supporters, totaling 115% of our goal. These funds allow the Star Spangled Music Foundation to publish both our 2-CD Poets & Patriots set of recordings as well as a Star Spangled Songbook including the vocal-choral…
"The Star-Decorated Flag"—by F.S. Key with a Little Help from Incline Village Elementary
Orchestral conductor and Star Spangled Music Foundation board member Laura Jackson introduced the youth concert version of Michael Gandolfi’s Chesapeake this past week and in the audience were the third graders of Incline Elementary School of Incline Village, Nevada. Music teacher Rita Whitaker-Haun (who performed in the cello section of the orchestra) brought her students…
Jeannette Fang: The Star-Spangled Banner with Brilliant Variations
Our latest Poets & Patriots project video release features U-Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance pianist Jeannette Fang performing “The Star Spangled Banner with Brilliant Variations,” 1861 by Augusts Cull. Published at the outset of the Civil War by Horace Waters in New York City and distributed by Oliver Ditson & Co. of Boston,…