ABSTRACT
The national anthem was later catapulted into the spotlight by the media over the release of a Spanish-language recording of the song. According to autobiographical accounts and legend, on September 14, 1814, after a battle against the British, Francis Scott Key saw the US flag waving from Ft. McHenry in Baltimore harbor in Maryland. The highly improvisatory and emotionally charged musical interpretation of a sanctified national symbol was performed by a rock-and-roll musician, in a climate of national protest and social discontent. Kahne and Middaugh suggest that educators "foster understandings of patriotism that support democratic values and practices". National efforts to include the SSB continue to reinforce and encourage blind patriotism. For example, MENC-The National Association for Music Education (USA) has sought to promote the anthem through the "The National Anthem Project". Musical works in the curriculum are not singular truths; they exist in a complex milieu where their meaning is ascribed at the social and individual levels.
