National Anthem 101: Breathe, relax, be confident, reverent
About 150 aspiring national anthem singers will make their pitches to honor America before professional baseball games.
When they audition, they need to do more than just show up.
They'll be trying out Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, hoping to land one of 37 spring training spots with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox. Others are hoping to perform before one of the 70 Fort Myers Miracle games over the minor league season this summer at Hammond Stadium.
The Star Spangled Banner has taken on an even greater significance over the past six months, the performers said, after athletes used the anthem by sitting, kneeling or clasping arms over one another during it, to spotlight social and racial injustices in America.
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“I feel like it’s almost empowering to sing in front of all of these people,” said Dani Dease, 19, who sang the national anthems at the grand opening of the new arena at Florida SouthWestern State College, from where she is slated to graduate with a two-year associate in arts degree in April.
“You’re singing the song because we have this great, whole, United States of America, that we’re so proud of,” Dease said. “It’s a place we have a reverence for. To sing it, it just shows that no matter what’s going on, we always have it.
“For me, it’s all about the troops and being proud of where we’re from and being proud of where we live. No place is ever going to be perfect. But the song is so important, because it’s about how we need to come together and be united.”
Dease joined Paul Lodato of Fort Myers, Gary Israel and Jim Doepke of Estero and Jennifer Beaudoin of Cape Coral in sharing some anthem tips.
“Three pieces of advice,” said Israel, 65, who sings the anthem 20-25 times a year. “Sing it as written. Google it, and read the words. I say that because most people mispronounce some of the words in the song. And I guess, understand what you’re singing. If you don’t know what the words mean, and you don’t know the words behind it, you’re just singing it by rote. It means nothing to you. That’s why there’s no reverence behind it.”
Doepke, 65, knows the words but doesn’t need to. He plays the song on his trumpet. He has performed the anthem, military-style, at 14 of Major League Baseball’s 30 ballparks. He hopes to play at all of them to complete his Anthem Across America project.
“My dad is a World War II veteran,” Doepke said. “He’s 101 years old. Every time I play, I try to think about him and his service. It’s a way for me to honor what he’s done.
“It takes me about a minute and 10 seconds. But I don’t play it and drag it out.”
The time matters.
Katie Haas, director of Florida operations for the Red Sox, said the team does not usually consider auditions that take longer than two minutes.
“I’m not going to go out there and yank anybody off the field,” Haas said. “But we have to have it done within two minutes.
“We’re looking for someone who is going to wow the crowd or give them goosebumps. If we’re giving people goosebumps, we’re doing our job.”
Lodato, 41 and the general manager of CTN-10, the Christian Television Network, advised not being overwhelmed by the venue. Hammond Stadium and JetBlue Park have packed crowds of more than 8,000 fans at spring training, and the Miracle averaged 1,912 fans per game last season.
“Feel like you’re singing to an audience of one,” said Lodato, whose dream is to sing the anthem at 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium, home of his favorite NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys. So far, his largest crowd has been about 15,000 fans at a college basketball game.
Beaudoin, 37, sang the anthem before the Donald Trump presidential campaign rally at Germain Arena in Estero last year. She will be trying out for the Red Sox.
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“Halfway through, the adrenaline kicked in,” Beaudoin said of the Trump performance. “Being a performer, you just relax and breathe. My advice is to relax and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
Dease sang the song for The News-Press and was timed at 90 seconds. Like Beaudoin, she emphasized breathing.
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“Breathing is very important,” Dease said. “And it’s not just during the national anthem. I’m talking about beforehand, so you don’t faint. Breathing, you don’t realize how much impact that will have on your voice or your overall state of mind when you’re nervous.
“Last but not least, you have to believe in yourself. You can’t go up there without confidence.”
From ‘Oh, say can you see,” to “the home of the brave,” the song remains the same. But that doesn’t mean singers can’t do something else for which this nation stands: Being independent.
“The national anthem is its own sacred song,” Dease said. “You can’t change the words or the meaning behind it. But you can always make it your own, personal song. You can usually tell when somebody is passionate about it. To me, that’s the most important thing.”
Connect with this reporter: David Dorsey (Facebook), @DavidADorsey (Twitter).
National anthem tryouts
Minnesota Twins and Fort Myers Miracle: 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Miromar Outlet near the Bloomingdale's store.
Boston Red Sox: All 64 audition spots have been booked and those are not open to the public. They take place Monday and Tuesday at JetBlue Park.
Tips for anthem singing
Dani Dease, 19, and an FSW student, gave her tips for succeeding at a national anthem audition:
1. Know the words. "You have to have them memorized and understand them and know the meaning behind them."
2. Do a vocal warmup. "It is very important to warm up your vocal cords before you do any kind of singing."
3. Be hydrated. "You're going to want to drink water or drink lemonade or drink something. But stay away from soda or sugary drinks."
4. Breathe. "Breathing has a major impact on how your voice sounds. And during the anthem, take a deep breath before each line."
5. Be confident. "You can't go up there without confidence. Change your mindset and say, 'I can do this. I've got this down.' That's what you've got to do."