Banner Moments: The National Anthem in American Life

FAIN: ES-50525-13

Regents of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1015)
Mark Allan Clague (Project Director: March 2013 to April 2015)

A four-week institute for thirty school teachers on the role of "The Star-Spangled Banner" and other music related to civic life in American history and culture.

Banner Moments will take advantage of the attention to be focused on the bicentennial of The Star-Spangled Banner in September 2014 to examine a range of topics and events that have shaped and signaled American identity. Using the national anthem as a core text, our 4-week Summer Institute for thirty K-12 teachers will explore both the music of the anthem and its role as a witness to American history in cultural, social, economic, and political life - building from the joyful expression of a single mind and moment to a text that embodies a multiplicity of American voices. The Institute will demonstrate the value of music as a tool for humanities inquiry, deepening understanding through examination not only of words, but of the full range of expressive elements that song embodies. Moreover, presentations and discussions will introduce resources and teaching strategies that educators can use to engage their students in learning that is multi-faceted and compelling.