Press Release - The National Anthem Project Announces Online Sing-Along Rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner"

The National Anthem Project Announces Online Sing-Along Rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner"

Campaign to Restore America's Voice through Music Education Aims to Re-Teach Millions of Americans to Sing the National Anthem

RESTON, VA/CHARLOTTE, NC (June 5, 2006) -- Learning, or re-learning, to sing America's national anthem has just been made easier with the posting of sing-along renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner" on the Web site of The National Anthem Project, the campaign to restore America's voice through music education sponsored by MENC: The National Association for Music Education. Created by Sound Choice®, the tracks are designed for use by individuals or groups in classrooms, sporting and other events across the country, and are available at no cost in easy-to-use formats for audio and video downloads, streams and as mobile phone ringtones. 

Sound Choice produced the Anthem with and without vocals to easily accommodate the specific needs of the user. An added bonus is the video component that includes highlighted lyrics, which change color in synchronization with the music, placed against a backdrop of the American flag. This orchestrated format encourages participation by ensuring appropriate pace among all participants. The appearance of the lyrics enhances recall of the precise wording of this song.

The National Anthem Project was launched in 2005 to raise awareness about the importance of supporting and funding school music programs following a Harris poll which found that two out of three American adults don't know all of the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner." The people who responded that they did know the words most often said they learned them in music class. "The official standards for our anthem specifically state that the song was meant to be sung together, but now many Americans don't even know the words to the song or which song is the official anthem," said John Mahlmann, executive director of MENC. "Recent budget cuts to school music programs have silenced our nation, cutting off students from access to learning about our country's historical traditions. Music in schools provides the platform for citizenship that stays with us for a lifetime."

Posting online sing-along tracks supports a secondary goal of the campaign: to change the practice of Americans listening to a soloist perform the anthem, particularly at special events, and to encourage everyone to sing the anthem together. The desire to make music an interactive experience among Americans is reflected in the history of Sound Choice, which traditionally designs music for a communicative interplay between individuals and groups and not simply appreciated on the sidelines by spectators. In a recent statement made by the President of Sound Choice, Derek Slep, he summarized the company's fundamental philosophy: "You don't have to be a star to enjoy singing. Everyone is born with an innate desire to sing, and this should be encouraged, not suppressed, regardless of ability level."

The arrangement now available online was recorded at the Sound Choice studios in Charlotte, NC. Wade Starnes, Music Director and Chief Engineer, said, "Although we often hear celebrity artists perform it quite differently, this traditional rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" is the one that everyone can sing together. I hope our track can offer guidance in form and a good model for young musical ears!"

The audio and video files can be accessed at www.thenationalanthemproject.org.

For more information, call 1-800-336-3768, or visit www.menc.org.

About MENC
MENC: The National Association for Music Education, the world's largest arts education organization, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. More than 120,000 members represent all levels of teaching from preschool to graduate school. Since 1907, MENC has worked to ensure that every student has access to a well-balanced, comprehensive, and high-quality program of music instruction taught by qualified teachers. MENC's activities and resources have been largely responsible for the establishment of music education as a profession, for the promotion and guidance of music study as an integral part of the school curriculum, and for the development of the National Standards for Arts Education.

About Sound Choice
Sound Choice is a leading music content provider throughout the entertainment industry. With a catalog of over 15,000 music tracks, Sound Choice delivers quality music to the toy, movie, television, advertising and the mobile telephone industries. Sound Choice is also the leading producer and distributor for multiple lines of premium karaoke music and products, including American Idol, Nashville Star and The Karaoke Channel available on Cable and Satellite. To find out more about Sound Choice, go to www.soundchoice.com.

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