What Has Happened to Proper Singing?

By Bobby

I can admit this now; after noticing how patriotic songs were sung in the Obama Inauguration, standards no longer matter, just like the new government's attitude on values. They must be broken to appease the lowest common denominator.

I have had the opportunity to take classical voice with a young lass who has become one of my best friends over these years we have known each other. Furthermore, I have observed singers at events, both on television and radio -- Denyse Graves, Renée Fleming, Ann Benson (also in-person, but her most famous appearance was on television -- have you ever?) -- and in person -- Tina Stallard, Jacob Will, Mark Husey -- sing these songs properly.

But here comes the Inauguration Ceremony, and Aretha Franklin is supposed to sing and instead of singing properly, as I have learned over the years, she comes in and sings these "patriotic" songs with such long and inappropriate places to hold notes and pause that I thought I had been put in no-man's land. But remember, I am a conservative, and conservatism is dead. Modern liberalism means anything goes, and that means if someone is singing important songs improperly, it's right. The correct way is the wrong way, whatever is inappropriate is legal.

If we learned Aretha's singing of the patriotic tunes was appropriate, and correct, what does it tell those who take music lessons and are classically trained on singing properly?

And remember, MTV, not Fox News, has priority in the new White House. After all, MTV's LOGO was a venue to debate, but not Fox News. MTV had an inaugural ball, but Fox News was relegated to second-tier status.