What a fiasco of non-sensical blathering has taken place since last Sunday regarding the halftime show at the Super Bowl.
Before I go on, I didn't even really watch the game other than having it play on my phone as I worked, and I didn't watch the halftime show. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever watched an entire halftime show in my life. I feigned interest in The Rolling Stones years ago, I caught glimpses of Aerosmith and Michael Jackson, I ashamedly admit googling Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction(don't judge), but the halftime show is not my bag. The TV camera-work and quick cuts from this angle to that angle and the sheer chaos is really not enjoyable at all to me.
Before I go on, I didn't even really watch the game other than having it play on my phone as I worked, and I didn't watch the halftime show. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever watched an entire halftime show in my life. I feigned interest in The Rolling Stones years ago, I caught glimpses of Aerosmith and Michael Jackson, I ashamedly admit googling Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction(don't judge), but the halftime show is not my bag. The TV camera-work and quick cuts from this angle to that angle and the sheer chaos is really not enjoyable at all to me.
I will get to this photograph in a minute.
The line up of this year's halftime show appeared to be like many before in my mind. Folks who are nearing the oldies list appealing to the demographic of Super Bowl watchers who have money... well not the boomers, but the middle-aged, middle-income folks. Folks who grew up listening to hip hop before they even knew what it meant - like rock-n-roll in the 50s and 60s, punk in the 70s (I try to forget disco and the 80s entirely), grunge and hip hop changed music. In so many ways for the better because they opened up sound once again. They opened up poetry to a new generation.
OK country music folks calm down. I didn't mean you when I said middle-aged, middle-income folks. Hip hop has spurned generations of listeners just like the Beatles did, just like Michael Jackson did, just like Garth Brooks did. Music of many divergent individuals has made an impression at one time or another.
There is enough music going around for everyone. It was time to recognize some folks and why not do it in L.A.
Seemed fitting
Now I'll talk about the picture above.
You know what most people who play music have in common? Music education. Not all, but most musicians took some sort of music in school or were helped by someone who could teach them a few things.
So if we want good music for generations to come... maybe even during half-time shows here is an idea. Instead of polarizing ideas of this genre or another... why not celebrate music in a way that pays tribute to the beginning of the super bowl where high school and college marching bands performed, but also helps educate the public, create awareness and generate funds for why music is so important anyway?
What I think next year's Super Bowl planners should consider is this... bring back the marching band.
Hear me out. I know a survey of the top halftime shows lists all the Super Bowls prior in the age of extravaganza (1990 ) are big name acts. But before that marching bands were brought on to show there wares... though not much was broadcast as we had to endure the first half again in analysis.
What if we take the marching band idea and give it a twist?
How many famous folks played in they high school marching band? What if we approached these millionaire celebrities, musicians and politicians to donate their time and money for one year to music in education?
In fact why not get 100 famous folks to join a nation-wide collection of high school marching band members and put on a halftime show? All with the purpose of raising.... let's just say 500 million dollars for musical education in k-12 schools across this country?
It's a drop in the bucket for what a Super Bowl Sunday generates. A quick search indicates that revenue from the Super Bowl exceeds five billion for those pretty directly involved and more than 20 billion overall. Hell advertisings could get on board too and design ads supporting this cause.
Seems like PR win all around.
It would be fun to see Bill Clinton playing the sax in the same line with someone from Franklin High School and on the other side is maybe Jennifer Garner?
The flute section could have Gwen Stefani and Halle Barry.
Now I'm getting interested.
Clarinets could get Gloria Estefan back in a halftime show playing next to Julia Roberts and 30 high school clarinet players.
I wonder if Steven Tyler can still play the trumpet? Who cares, just get him out there with his scarfs dangling off one anyway!
Why not let Tommy Lee bang away in the drum line (no pun intended) with Trent Reznor with a drum line made up of kids from Hawaii to New Jersy?
Seriously, the list could go on and on.
It would be fun, it would be a great PR thing for the NFL and whichever network and their advertisers. If done right it could maybe lead to a better philanthropy from one of the most outrageous gluttonous days of the year.
Just a thought from someone who doesn't give a .... about halftime shows.
Oh I guess that's not true since I just wrote all this down.
What if we take the marching band idea and give it a twist?
How many famous folks played in they high school marching band? What if we approached these millionaire celebrities, musicians and politicians to donate their time and money for one year to music in education?
In fact why not get 100 famous folks to join a nation-wide collection of high school marching band members and put on a halftime show? All with the purpose of raising.... let's just say 500 million dollars for musical education in k-12 schools across this country?
It's a drop in the bucket for what a Super Bowl Sunday generates. A quick search indicates that revenue from the Super Bowl exceeds five billion for those pretty directly involved and more than 20 billion overall. Hell advertisings could get on board too and design ads supporting this cause.
Seems like PR win all around.
It would be fun to see Bill Clinton playing the sax in the same line with someone from Franklin High School and on the other side is maybe Jennifer Garner?
The flute section could have Gwen Stefani and Halle Barry.
Now I'm getting interested.
Clarinets could get Gloria Estefan back in a halftime show playing next to Julia Roberts and 30 high school clarinet players.
I wonder if Steven Tyler can still play the trumpet? Who cares, just get him out there with his scarfs dangling off one anyway!
Why not let Tommy Lee bang away in the drum line (no pun intended) with Trent Reznor with a drum line made up of kids from Hawaii to New Jersy?
Seriously, the list could go on and on.
It would be fun, it would be a great PR thing for the NFL and whichever network and their advertisers. If done right it could maybe lead to a better philanthropy from one of the most outrageous gluttonous days of the year.
Just a thought from someone who doesn't give a .... about halftime shows.
Oh I guess that's not true since I just wrote all this down.
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