Last night, before a home game between our local team and a neighboring town on the rural North Dakota prairie, six boys basketball players stood to sing the Star Spangled Banner in our gymnasium. Thank you to their music teacher, Mrs. Wolff for making this performance happen! I knew it was coming sometime this basketball season. But Hunter failed to tell me it was last night. He is a teenage boy and I assume he did not want me taking too many pictures or recording it. But, in panic mode when it was announced I grabbed my cracked screen, broken iPhone and recorded the performance. Next time, I’ll be more prepared to capture a tighter version. I promise.
For now, we have this rendition. Hunter said the boys sang straight melody this time since it was their first time performing with little practice. He hopes they can work on harmonizing for a future pre-game national anthem. Last night he came home, after a win with a smile on his face and said, “Mom, what did you think? Guys that are cool, sing!” There are some pretty cool guys…like my dad, father-in-law and husband, who don’t sing with a microphone in front of them before basketball games. But…those guys that do are definitely cool.
Most importantly I think these boys set an example for many younger children sitting in our crowded home side of the bleachers that kids can participant in a multitude of activities. It showed kids that athletes aren’t just sports minded. They have other interests outside of the gym. Participation in many activities within our small, rural school is critical. We won’t have sports, music, drama and other programs in our school if kids don’t participant in them. Variety in activities brings balance to a everyday life and builds discipline with life long skills.
The gift of music will with stay with the boys long after the days of high school basketball. For our family, we will always remember January 18, 2013 when the boys stood up to sing.
Next time we will see if we can recruit their coach (my brother, Robbie) to sing with them. He was a basketball player in college that sang in the college concert choir. And here is proof he can beautifully sing the Star Spangled Banner.
Robbie is not going to like it that his older sister just blogged his beautiful singing. But let’s be clear: it is public on YouTube. Can you imagine what the boys and Robbie would sound like together?
I think it would be pretty fantastic. So maybe with a little encouraging…Robbie will join his team’s players to sing in the upcoming weeks. Maybe. But it can’t be my idea. Little brothers rarely listen to their older sisters, that I have learned.
ADORE this post and those boys can sing!!!
They did such a great job and how WONDERFUL that they did this!
Yay! Yay! Yay! Love it!
R and “boys”
They did a great job. Your brother has a very nice voice!
Thumbs up to our boys bb players,Mrs Wolff and Robbie as well. Excellent performances all around. Way to go Mustangs!
Woah! I had no idea your LB could sing like that! Thanks for sharing!