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Title:Why patriotic songs find a home on country radio. (Country). Author(s):Phillis Stark. Source:Airplay Monitor 11.17 (April 25, 2003): p.38(1). (1112 words) From General OneFile. Document Type:Magazine/Journal Bookmark:Bookmark this Document Library Links: Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2003 VNU Business Media

In times of national strife, patriotic songs often top the country charts, and--as evidenced by the strong reaction to the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines' recent comment about the president--many country fans have little tolerance for behavior they deem unpatriotic. But why are these such hot-button issues for country listeners? Are there any unique benefits that patriotism offers the format? And with an inevitable flood of patriotic songs during each time of national challenge, how do PDs sort the sincere from the exploitative?

WUSN (US99) Chicago PD Justin Case says the format typically draws an audience whose value system can be summed up as "God, family, country." He adds, "It is the way they were raised. The themes of country music connect with these individuals. Most fans have a strong sense of community and family. Terrorism threatens their belief system, and they are prone to rally to protect their family and way of life."

"Country music fans seem to possess an unusually high degree of patriotism because it just happens to parallel their lifestyles," KZLA Los Angeles APD/MD Tonya Campos says. "[They] have a value system that includes love of family, country, and morals/ethics."

Consultant Larry Daniels says, "This format has always had a patriotic leaning. One song I remember hearing as a child was Ernest Tubb's `Soldier's Last Letter.' It came out in 1944, but I was a mere toddler when I heard it several years later after World War II had ended."

DreamWorks artist Darryl Worley has been a beneficiary of country fans' patriotism with a five-week stay at No. 1 for "Have You Forgotten?" "These people that listen to country music are country people--hard-working, working-class American people, and they typically lean in that [patriotic] direction. The country listeners tend to back us guys when we put out something pro-America [or] pro-military," Worley says, citing Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)."

But L.J. Smith, regional VP of programming for Clear Channel's Oklahoma/Arkansas region, thinks patriotism is not unique to country fans. "While looking over the programming of about 40 radio stations in all formats, I am no longer convinced that country listeners have a lock on the whole patriotism comer," he says. "News/talk listeners are by far the most vocal, and even the rock audience has surprised me with their intolerance of anything less than 100% American patriotism. If there is any gap in the amount of American pride with country listeners than with other formats, the line has, at least, been blurred during this time of war."

PATRIOTISM PAYS OFF

Regardless of whether the sentiment is unique to country, it's unlikely that programmers in any other format are shipped as many patriotic songs, and most country stations play up patriotism in their on-air production elements. But how, exactly, does all this patriotic spirit benefit the format?

RCA Label Group executive VP Butch Waugh says it's not just country's music that draws listeners at times like this. "I have a lot of friends that program pop radio stations, and they tell me they want to be an alternative to the war where people can go to escape the news. But I'm not sure Americans want to escape the war. I think they want to know more about it. As long as our troops are in foreign territory and their lives are in jeopardy, I think the American people want to know everything they can about that. Country radio is addressing that. Some of the other formats are not."

"Country listeners have always been loyal, and during a time of enhanced patriotism they become much more expressive," Case says. "This can only help the format, because our music is extremely relevant during times of war and challenging economic times."

"This patriotism does have unique benefits for the country format in that it is a perfect match ... to that lifestyle [and] strong value system," Campos says. "A lot of those songs speak directly about love of family, country, and morals/ethics."

"There's no question patriotism is a benefit for the country format," Daniels says. "Many of the country stars who have recorded patriotic songs are believable. Their songs and styles are heartfelt. In fact, many of these songs are so emotionally strong that they have become standards for other formats as well. `God Bless the USA' by Lee Greenwood has been a great example. `Have You Forgotten?' and Alan Jackson's `Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)' are huge hits that have spread to enormous popularity because of their incredibly engaging lyrics."

SEPARATING CREDIBLE FROM CRASS

Programmers were flooded with flag-wavers after Sept. 11, 2001, again on the first anniversary of that day, and yet again since the start of the war in Iraq. But what percentage of these singles strike them as a sincere expression of the artist's patriotism? What percentage are a crass attempt to sell records or get publicity? And, perhaps more important, how can they tell the difference? For most, it's a matter of gut instinct.

WUBE Cincinnati OM Tim Closson puts the credible vs. crass figure at 50/50 and says of the difference, "You can feel it when you listen."

"I'm sure most are sincere, but most are also a little over the top," KWEN Tulsa, Okla., PD/Cox country format coordinator Gerry McCracken says. "I don't try to judge motives of people I don't know." But he also has a unique criterium for choosing the good ones. "If it makes my 34-year-old [female] assistant cry, it's a keeper."

"They all are sincere expressions of the artist's patriotism," Campos says. "However, the percentage we feel are ready for airplay are low. That is not because these people are not passionate about what they are feeling, but [it is] more a reflection on talent or the basic sonic quality of the material they send.

"There will always be a small percentage of material sent in that is an attempt to get publicity," Campos adds, "and we basically use our gut feelings to seek those out."

"It's obvious when they're sincere, and it's also obvious when some are just taking advantage of the moment," says Daniels, who also relies on "gut instinct" to tell the difference.

Case thinks "most artists write and sing from the heart. They feel something inside and put it on paper or to music. Like any personal expression, some sentiments score a direct hit with the consumer." As for picking the good from the bad, he says that "most songs that try to take advantage of a situation sound that way. PDs must choose the most relevant songs for their audience. You can't play them all, so find the standouts."

Source Citation:Stark, Phillis. "Why patriotic songs find a home on country radio. (Country)." Airplay Monitor 11.17 (April 25, 2003): 38(1). General OneFile. Gale. Marlborough High School. 29 Apr. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. Gale Document Number:A101175861

Title:Patriotic songs filled the airwaves, affecting singles and albums sales charts alike. (US chartfile). Author(s):Alan Jones. Source:Music Week (Sept 28, 2002): p.6(1). (142 words) From General OneFile. Document Type:Magazine/Journal Bookmark:Bookmark this Document Library Links: Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2002 CMP Information Ltd.

Patriotic songs filled the airwaves, affecting singles and albums sales charts alike. On the best-selling singles list, Whitney Houston's Star Spangled Banner bounces 12-2 while Lee Greenwood's God Bless America jumps 31-11. On the albums chart, the only albums to increase sales week-on-week were country stars Toby Keith's Unleashed (home of the Taliban thumping Courtesy Of The Red, White & Blue) and Alan Jackson's Drive, which includes the 9-11 anthem Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning. Keith's album surges 11-5, while Jackson's album sprints 57-16. The only new entries to the Top 20 are a brace of multimedia albums by gospel veterans Bill & Gloria Gaither, Let Freedom Ring and God Bless America. Even with hefty $60 price tags, they are the biggest albums of the Gaithers' career, debuting at 15 and 19 respectively with sales of 39,000 and 36,000.

Source Citation:Jones, Alan. "Patriotic songs filled the airwaves, affecting singles and albums sales charts alike. (US chartfile)." Music Week (Sept 28, 2002): 6(1). General OneFile. Gale. Marlborough High School. 29 Apr. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>. Gale Document Number:A93920893

Title:Patriotic songs possess therapeutic power: Victor Hugo said, "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." In wartime, music also serves a medicinal purpose. Author(s):Rita Robinson. Source:VFW Magazine 89.7 (March 2002): p.12(2). (1076 words) From General Reference Center Gold. Document Type:Magazine/Journal Bookmark:Bookmark this Document Library Links: Full Text :COPYRIGHT 2002 Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

Country singer Lee Greenwood's trademark song, God Bless the U.S.A., which rose to popularity during the Persian Gulf War, and others such as the Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America, did more than swell the chest and bring tears to the eyes following the World Trade Center attacks and their aftermath. Patriotic songs can calm and ennoble a country in times of crisis.

"It makes sense that patriotic songs we have sung and heard from our childhood associated with sporting events, family gatherings, graduation ceremonies and other memorable events would evoke both comfort, courage and certainty," says Deforia Lane, director of music therapy at Ireland Cancer Center, University Hospitals of Cleveland.

"People respond to music that is familiar and linked to specific memories, often without even being aware of how the music affects them physically and psychologically."

Many veterans agree.

"I grew up in the midst of WWII, and patriotic music of that time had a tremendous impact on me," says Bill Alley, a retired Marine colonel who served in Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf wars. "I wasn't old enough to join until 1948, so I guess I've been a patriotic person since I was a kid."

Other veterans however, say that during their wartime service patriotic music carried little meaning. Andy Campbell, who flew helicopters in Vietnam, recalls listening to jazz to calm himself. He says patriotic music evokes no special memories. A veteran of the Korean War, Lew Daniels says patriotic songs rarely stir him, although he remembers feeling pride in boot camp when they paraded to marching songs for visiting VIPs.

SUMMONING PATRIOTISM

For many of these and other veterans, Sept. 11, 2001, roused unexpected feelings. Wayne Greer, a Vietnam vet who in his younger years listened to the popular music of the '60s, including anti-war songs, feels his patriotism changed considerably just recently. That is when his 19-year-old daughter, Danielle, joined the Air Force a few weeks prior to the terrorist attacks.

After these direct assaults on America, patriotic songs became more meaningful to him. Greer draped a huge American flag across the front of his house. He reflected on the warriors in his family, including a grandfather, father, son and himself, all of whom served in the Army. Now a woman warrior, his daughter, is part of that heritage.

"It's different when your own country is attacked," Greer said.

Dr. John Fauerbach, assistant professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, points out that patriotic music helps people "understand, express and direct the often overwhelming and conflicting feelings we have upon being exposed to trauma."

Additionally, it can help reduce stress associated with trauma, believes Karen Allen, research scientist at the University of Buffalo. But not just because of the music itself.

Listening to or singing patriotic songs often takes place in groups, which brings its own type of comfort, according to Dr. Seymour Diamond, executive chairman of the National Headache Foundation based in Chicago. He adds that hearing patriotic music reduced stress in the aftermath of Sept. 11 because it "increased a feeling of belonging."

Diamond also believes it's possible that patriotic music increases endorphins in the brain, those feel-good chemicals that are partly responsible for euphoric feelings, such as "runner's high."

Dr. Norman Shealy, of the Shealy Institute of Comprehensive Health Care in Springfield, Mo., says, "All great music is balancing to the nervous system."

CALMING AND ENERGIZING

Responses to music, though, are idiosyncratic, according to Don Hodges, director of the Institute for Music Research at the University of Texas (San Antonio). "Music that might be calming to one person could be energizing to another," he points out.

The country's national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, isn't always calming, since its range is erratic, making it difficult to sing. Plus, even those who try to make it more palpable, such as Jose Feliciano who offended many with his rendition of the national anthem at a World Series game in 1969, fail. Roseanne Barr's rendition at the 1990 World Series offended nearly everyone.

God Bless America, sung religiously at gatherings, such as during the "seventh inning stretch" at the 2001 World Series, engenders more emotions than the national anthem.

It was promptly sung by U.S. senators on the steps of the Capitol following the attacks; at the reopening of the stock market Sept. 18; and by Canadian musician Celine Dion for "America: A Tribute to Heroes," Sept. 21, clearly moving audiences everywhere.

The song, written by Irving Berlin during World War I for a U.S. Army camp show, was picked up by popular singer Kate Smith of World War II fame. Smith was one of the few musicians who could also sing the Star-Spangled Banner and not leave audiences squirming.

Music, though, goes much deeper, and reaches into our psyches for reasons other than its initial sound. All music produces vibrations, and people are rhythmic creatures from the tips of their toes to the tops of their heads.

SPIRITUAL RHYTHM

Barry Bernstein, music therapist and founder of "Healthy Sounds," which specializes in rhythm, has worked with Vietnam vets suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. "All spiritual practice involves some sort of rhythm or use of rhythm," he said, "whether it is focusing on beat, repeating a mantra or something more obvious like playing a drum. All of these things structure our reality, and give us a focus."

Bernstein utilized a large round drum table that gave a full-body experience to patients at the VA hospital in Topeka, Kan. They could sit around it together and feel the rhythm, as well as connecting to others. "One of the beautiful things about rhythm is that it gives us a safety net for exploration by the structure that is provided, and through that, there is a safety created for us to do the deeper work, such as healing," he notes.

Americans do like their music--all types, including patriotic ones. Composer John Philip Sousa, in 1896, wrote The Stars and Stripes Forever--possibly one of the best-known marching songs in America. He once said, "Today [turn-of-the century], if I were a young composer, I would rather submit my chances of success or failure to an American public than to any other public in the world. It is essentially music-loving."

In times of war or domestic crisis, music often possesses therapeutic power to inspire and later soothe frayed nerves.

RITA ROBINSON is a health/psychology writer and author of 10 books.

Source Citation:Robinson, Rita. "Patriotic songs possess therapeutic power: Victor Hugo said, 'Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.' In wartime, music also serves a medicinal purpose." VFW Magazine 89.7 (March 2002): 12(2). General Reference Center Gold. Gale. Marlborough High School. 29 Apr. 2008 <http://find.galegroup.com/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS>.

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