When looking for a piece for my last song share I had a really difficult time because there are so many styles and decades of music from North America that symbolize this country as a whole. I ended up deciding on “The Star Spangled Banner” with lyrics by Francis Scott Key and music by John Stafford Smith. I chose this piece because it is a symbol of the country in which we live and holds deep meaning. Our country’s national anthem is sung at the beginning of every sporting event and many other big events in our country. It brings together opposing teams and shows everyone that despite our differences we are still one country, living together on the same land, that works together to accomplish the same goals. This song represents unity and freedom and although musically isn’t representative of all the different groups within the country, its message holds great value. Whitney Houston really does this piece justice as she focuses on the beauty of the lyrics and not just the performance aspect of the song. As someone who sings the national anthem for her High School’s sporting events and has done some larger events as well, I feel a deep connection to this song and feel it is representative of North American music.