3rd Jan 2012 at 21:51 | By Collin Roth
WI High School Band Performance At Rose Bowl Co-Opted By Liberal Blog
By Collin Roth
As the University of Wisconsin badger football team prepared to play Oregon in the Rose Bowl on January 2, the Pulaski High School band marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade. The band marched towards the grandstand playing the University of Wisconsin fight song “On Wisconsin” but then switched their tune to “Red Wing,” a song first written in 1907 by American composer Kerry Mills. The performance of “Red Wing” begins at the 1:15 mark on the video below:
In what had to have been a thrill for high school students and a proud moment for the school and town of Pulaski was quickly co-opted by by the left-wing blog Daily Kos. In a post entitled “Pulaski WI Marching Band ‘Sticking to the Union’ in Rose Bowl Parade” the author believes the Pulaski band is playing the pro-union anthem “Union Maid,” a song which songwriter Woody Guthrie added lyrics to the tune of “Red Wing.” The blog post reads:
The Pulaski High Marching Band, of Pulaski Wisconsin, made an awesome statement in yesterday’s Rose Bowl Parade.
It was quite an honor for the Red Raiders from this small town (pop. approx. 3000) northwest of Green Bay to be marching in 80-degree weather in Pasadena, while their proud community looked on from windy 18-degree Wisconsin.
The TV coverage started as they marched along playing “On Wisconsin,” looking properly Badger-like in their red uniforms.
…I hope it was the musicians themselves who selected this song, who planned this action. It would be reminiscent of the students from East High in Madison who determinedly marched out of school down East Washington last February to swell the protests at the Capitol.
Media Trackers contacted Dr. Mel Lightner, Superintendent for Pulaski School District on Tuesday afternoon to inquire why a public school band was playing what some perceived to be an overtly political anthem and what some were hoping was a pro-union statement at the Rose Bowl parade?
Dr. Lightner explained, “We refer to that song as the ‘Red Wing’ polka.” Lightner went on to say that the band director had never even heard of the pro-union song “Union Maid” and that “Red Wing” was a tribute to his grandmother who loved the song.
“This is simply hilarious” laughed Dr. Lightner, explaining further that “they [the Daily Kos] are just trying to spin it their way.”
So what perhaps pro-union and anti-Walker folks hoped was an “awesome statement” and show of support to the Walker recall, was in the end a gross misinterpretation.
It just goes to show, even high school band performances in Wisconsin are not immune from those seeking to score political points at any cost.
Note: Kudos to the Pulaski High School band and the entire Pulaski community for representing Wisconsin well at the Rose Bowl. Well done!
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Discussion | 39 Comments on "WI High School Band Performance At Rose Bowl Co-Opted By Liberal Blog"
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Sarah said
Jan 3, 2012 at 10:45 PM
Really?? Red Wing Polka?? Has anyone listened to the difference between to two of Union Maid and Red Wing? HUGE difference, and the tune is definitely Union Maid. I encourage you to listen closely. Nice try. I not heard a marching band playing Polka??
Tom Jessel said
Jan 5, 2012 at 7:40 PM
Well this band does play polkas, They played the Red Wing Polka, complete with accordions at Bandfest 2 days prior.
Woody said
Jan 4, 2012 at 12:17 AM
What do you think the superintendent would say? His job is to negotiate with, not side with the Union. No one knows the song as “Red Wing”. They know it as “Union Maid”, and it was popularized by the Ladies Garment Workers TV commercials in the early eighties. Are you gullible enough to believe this was just a coincidence?
Sarah said
Jan 4, 2012 at 3:40 AM
INTERESTING: Red Wing Polka lyrics
There once was an Indian maid,
A shy little prairie maid,
Who sang a lay, a love song gay,
As on the plain she’d while away the day;
She loved a warrior bold,
This shy little maid of old,
But brave and gay, he rode one day
To battle far away.
Now, the moon shines tonight on pretty Red Wing
The breeze is sighing, the night bird’s crying,
For afar ‘neath his star her brave is sleeping,
While Red Wing’s weeping her heart away.
She watched for him day and night,
She kept all the campfires bright,
And under the sky, each night she would lie,
And dream about his coming by and by;
But when all the braves returned,
The heart of Red Wing yearned,
For far, far away, her warrior gay,
Fell bravely in the fray.
OR
UNION MAID
There once was a union maid, she never was afraid
Of goons and ginks and company finks and the deputy sheriffs who made the raid.
She went to the union hall when a meeting it was called,
And when the Legion boys come ’round
She always stood her ground.
Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union,
I’m sticking to the union, I’m sticking to the union.
Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union,
I’m sticking to the union ’til the day I die.
This union maid was wise to the tricks of company spies,
She couldn’t be fooled by a company stool, she’d always organize the guys.
She always got her way when she struck for better pay.
She’d show her card to the National Guard
And this is what she’d say
You gals who want to be free, just take a tip from me;
Get you a man who’s a union man and join the ladies’ auxiliary.
Married life ain’t hard when you got a union card,
A union man has a happy life when he’s got a union wife.
Sarah said
Jan 4, 2012 at 3:43 AM
So ASK what a Marching band would do…did not you see it??? Good grief…came in with, On Wisconsin, then stopped the parade which stunned people and turned around, to sing and dance pointing where, then to turn around to continue, On Wisconsin…the dance they did was not of the Red Wing lyric or meaning, it was Union Maid. Sorry folks to disappoint you but here are the facts. But it all could be coincidence…or ironic or maybe not.
gilly said
Jan 4, 2012 at 1:21 PM
@ SARAH…or it really could be a polka. Pulaski, home of “Pulaski Polka Days” and a large,non-union (I believe) yacht company, has some of the nicest people in WI., so by default, they can’t be Libs!!! HAHAHA Oh, and that dance? It’s probably called a “Polka”!
Sarah said
Jan 4, 2012 at 2:04 PM
@Gilly…LIbs, you say? Why is have to be the name game here. Am I a Liberal definition: favorable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms… ABSOLUTELY! I would rather be called that than a left or right wing…or even, a tea bag.
Okay, “On Wisconsin,” to stop and do, “Red Wing,” or “Union Maid” or a “Pulka Mysterious Song,” and then, “On Wisconsin…”??? Highly unlikely…A Marching Band??
Are you not watching the youth’s body language and dance. Its charismatic and definitely a mocking wave length of emotion in the dance. Put 1 & 2 together. I have two teens now 20 and 18 and I have to tell ya the high school students these days are more rebellious, more politically motivated, and smarter with charismatic smart flash mobs, etc . I can guarantee that they are NOT happy with their program(s) funding being cut because of Walker. All schools face them but some towns are not the burbs where their parents and community can come up with out of pocket expenses to keep the educational institution’s special programs going. Are you not listening to the youth saying that their programs are being cut. Perhaps, the director and the school superintendent is not aware or know their students. If it were not for their body language in this video, I would have said yes, its a coincidence. But, highly unlikely… it was subtle but well done.
“Pulaski Polka Days,” IS NOT A SONG… and, watched the videos of the parades of the same high school marching band.
nessa said
Jan 5, 2012 at 12:48 AM
Hey, i am a proud parent of one of those students. I chaperoned them to multiple parades, 100s of hours of practice and on this parade.
It was two years ago we started on this journey and this song was on our short list of songs over 14 months ago. Thar was before the brewhaha that Governer Walker vs the senate dems created.
The songs we played were vetted by our school board and the TORoses committee, and we retained legal representation to make certain we complied with all copyright and other legal stuff to play the Red Wing Polka. Pulaski IS the home of a Polka Days festval every summer. The LAST time we performed in the TORoses parade we performed “Pulaski is a Polkatown” our hometown polka.
I know because I was THERE. I paid a thousand dollars so my daughter could go — and another grand for the “privelege” of working my tail off to make this happen for this great bunch of kids. For you to sully their memories of this great moment in their lives is simply dispicable!
gilly said
Jan 4, 2012 at 2:25 PM
Sarah, all I have to say to your mostly unreadable post is this. You are right, “Pulaski Polka Days” is not a song, it is a festival in Pulaski. Polkas are to Pulaski like Moonbats are to Madison. I suspect you may actually be one of the fabled “Madison Moonbats”.
On second thought, I do have more to say. In your own eloquent words “Why is have to be the name game here”…so “libs” is a “name”, but “tea bag” is not? Hypocrisy at its finest!!!
Sarah said
Jan 4, 2012 at 2:37 PM
Ha Ha Ha! Great intelligent comeback…LOL…I was being facetious. I am not a Madison Moonbat either, just a fellow Wisconsinite who wants what is best for all walks of communities in Wisconsin at an equal balance. I care who is effected by the Walker Administration and their Reforms of all walks and it seems that working families and our youth and elders are taking the hike of it all, that is not equal.
All I am saying is that do not hesitate the smarts and the charisma of a teenager, especially a team grouped up. They are smarter than you think.
Neal said
Jan 4, 2012 at 7:49 PM
Red Wing starts with Indian drum beat, I didn’t hear that. Red Wing starts also with an Indian war chant, I didn’t hear that.
Dance didn’t look Native American, nor polka, to me. Of course a right-leaning “truth seeking” web site “inquire(ing) why a public school band was playing what some perceived to be an overtly political anthem and what some were (hoping) was a pro-union statement at the Rose Bowl” WOULD NEVER cause Dr. Mel Lightner, Superintendent for Pulaski School District to dissemble? That I can’t believe. That one camp would “spin” the facts to suit their audience doesn’t surprise me.
nessa said
Jan 5, 2012 at 12:53 AM
TORoses committee gave the band 30seconds to perform this “stand up” you heard only a small portion of the song. Do not hurt the people I love by your ill-informed suppositions.:
Mary Alice Bates said
Jan 4, 2012 at 7:54 PM
As retired band director, I would have been the one to have had the band actually sing the “Union Maid” between the instrumental renditions of the melody. It would have been a tribute to the ancestors who may have played the song in the original verson, those who honor Woodie Guthrie and his “words” as well as the communities in the State of Wisconsin who support the Unions and their members for bringing living wages and safe working conditions to their state.
nessa said
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:04 AM
As a former band director you should understand how this stuff works. We did not wake up on Jan 2 and radically decide to make a political statements.
We had the Red Wing Polka approved nearly a year ago, we played it ALL summer.
Don’t use these students and their director’s hard work to further YOUR political beliefs.
I’m certaain in your band career you played many songs that may have had multiple sets of lyrics. When you played “my country tis of thee” did anyone accuse you of proBritish leanings?
Sarah said
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:12 AM
That was no Red Wing Polka, sorry. . .my friends, then the music should be corrected?
@Nessa, all were very proud to see the students there, trust me. There is much pride and no criticism what so ever. My point as this as a mother of teens, teens are no fools, they know what’s going on and they get involved as much as we do. Actually more rebels than we are which is great. The whole point was how ironic. How it all played into who they could have been facing to stop the parade, being not polka steps, to do that song and march on with the fighting song. . .its ironic and in fact those felt the youth were heros actually.
nessa said
Jan 5, 2012 at 3:20 AM
I have the sheet music in front of me – it is the Red Wing Polka. We boughtbthe rights to perform Red Wing. I independently know tthe band directors cousin who lives in Madison-he independently verified that their grandmother loves this polka.
The moves you describe were planned. I sat through the ten hour each day practice sessions the band had the two days after thanksgiving and two days after Christmas, and shivered through the night practices in September and October (one night each week for street marching, the other for field show), through summer band camp, through June practices, through football games, through standup performances – the TORoses officials asked us to perform that tune as a 30 second standup for the TV coverage. Unfortunately, we could not get the logistics down to include the accordines — we have two.
Protest yourself if you wish, but don’t drag these kids into your conspiracy theories. They were kids having a great time celebrating the cumulization of over TWO years of hard work and planning.
anon said
Jan 5, 2012 at 6:11 AM
As a member of the RR Marching Band for four years, culminating with our marching in the 2007 ToR parade, I understand that the band was (rather recently, if I heard correctly) asked to do a standing performance immediately prior to the turn. However, given the surprise of the commentators and the general lack of a similar performance by bands preceding Pulaski, I would not be surprised if this was all a ploy by either Mr. Busch, his union teacher friends, or the idiot superintendent himself. Even if Mr. Busch and the band were recently informed of the performance requirement, I don’t doubt he was drooling at the opportunity to make a statement with the tune (which, it is true, was selected and practiced well before my state’s brouhaha). He must have thought it an absolutely ideal piece to stick in between On Wisconsin.
nessa said
Jan 5, 2012 at 12:50 PM
It appears that the TORoses officials are a sucker for a polka – they really feel it “plays” well to the audiance. We saw President Jackson at a restraunt at Universal studios (he was there for an event sponsored by Wells Fargo for the horse units). When he saw our “Pulaski band loves Wisconsin cheese” t-shirts, his only question to us was if the band was ready to polka. While Tom may have been drooling at the opportunity, it was drooling at te opp to perform and the recognition that entailed, NOT drooling at the opp to make any statement.
nessa said
Jan 5, 2012 at 1:05 PM
I might note that I am a union member myself -International Paperworkers local 482. While I have been active in several campaigns over the years, I am a raging moderate independent and vote for the candidate rather than the party – IOW I do not have a political agenda here, I am looking to set the record straight. This was the Red Wing Polka – it was not a political statement nor was it a rogue performance.
Also I have been posting from my Nook. Great reader, lousy keyboard! Sorry for all the typos!
AnnieJo said
Jan 6, 2012 at 5:55 PM
nessa – Hi, it’s AnnieJo, author of the DailyKos story that kicked off this whole brouhaha. I’d like to do my best to set the record straight — I could share your story based on the comments you’ve left here, but would prefer to be in touch directly if you’re willing. Drop me a note at elvissightings[at]gmail.com ?
nessa said
Jan 7, 2012 at 5:53 AM
We just all felt betrayed that something that our kids worked so hard at was crassly being spun for political motives. No one did any sort of research any type of fact checking just as assumption.
The real story should have been about Amir a percussionist whose nick name is swagger because of his unusual gait. He has a prosetic leg. He marched the entire route, he did the entire field show, he marched the summer parades and made it through band camp without any special considerations.
Or how about Carri a flute player who two months and one day earlier from the parade date was medivaced from GB to Milwaukee for emergency surgery to remove a tumor from her brain stem. Carri marched the entire route, did the field show, participated in all the band events.
how about the stories about how we got here? How nearly two years ago kids, most who were going to graduate long before this trip, gave up their time to practice and create the audtion tape . . . in May? About our sponsors who gave goods and services so we could make the trip. About our band boosters efforts to raise funds. About chaperones several of whom took unpaid leaves from work to make this happen for these kids.
Lets talk about the positive impacts of music and other arts programs have on the educational system. Positive rather than giving crazy folks on the ultra right yet more reasons to cut these programs. I can hear the debate now “yah, we better cut band because the kids are all just a bunch of radical anarchists”
as a blogger you have a responsibility to check things out before you blog. Blog the truth, not supposition please.
AnnieJo said
Jan 7, 2012 at 12:37 PM
Hi nessa — thanks for the response. I can understand why you and others are feeling betrayed. It might help to know that I’m not a paid journalist, nor even a high-profile blogger ordinarily — I’m an amateur blogging from my basement, one of thousands of volunteer contributors who occasionally post to DailyKos. Very few people have ever read or commented on my blogging before, so this whole uproar is utterly astonishing to me. It didn’t occur to me that the song could be anything other than Union Maid, since I’d never heard of the Red Wing Polka (other people were already making the same mistake, in a low-level way, on Facebook and Twitter, which is how I heard about it). It also didn’t occur to me to contact Dr. Lightner myself because I’ve got no press credentials — who’d return my call under those circumstances?
I can’t guarantee that anyone will read any follow-up story I write — again, in general I’m pretty much a non-entity when it comes to blogging, and this particular news cycle has come and gone. But I’d like to make amends via a new DailyKos post to the extent I can. With your union membership and independent political leanings, you’re the perfect band-parent to set the record straight! If you’d be willing to set up a phone interview, so that (this time) I can verify that I checked things out in person, I’d be willing to do a retraction, tell of some of the amazing performers you’ve mentioned, outline why it wasn’t even Director Busch’s idea to put the Red Wing Polka in front of the grandstand. You’ve got my e-mail in the prior comment. Let me know.
AnnieJo said
Jan 8, 2012 at 4:56 PM
Hello again — I suppose that since I haven’t heard anything further, I’m probably not going to get a chance to talk with you by phone, which is a disappointment but I can think of several reasons why you might prefer not to! After thinking things over further, I’ve decided that I’d still like to let others know what you’ve said here via a new Daily Kos post. If you’d like me to fix some of the obvious Nook-typos as I quote you, let me know — otherwise I’ll plan to cut & paste your words verbatim. The post will “go live” Monday morning. Thanks again for all the detail you’ve posted, and my sincere best wishes to you and the band.
nessa said
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:04 AM
I’ve been out-of-town this weekend with limited access. I would suggest “fact checking” with Tom Busch, band director, or Mel Lightner, Pulaski school superintendent prior to publishing anything else. Tom has been in San Antonio with one of his students but should be back Monday. Both gentlemen’s contact info is avaiable via the Pulaski WI school district’s web site
nessa said
Jan 9, 2012 at 4:10 AM
Btw in the reply a few back when i talked about the audition tape, i say “in May?” Should be “in May in the snow?” Still getting used to this touch screen keyboard!
AnnieJo said
Jan 9, 2012 at 11:15 AM
Hi nessa,
OK, since that’s your advice, I’ll do so. It’s your account in particular, though, that I think would be most convincing. The story has spiraled into an unintentional “conspiracy theory” to the point that I think people are going to be more willing to believe a raging-moderate-independent union-member band parent than the “official” sources of information — too many folks are already convinced that the “official” line is a clever cover-up. But I’ll see what I can do.
nessa said
Jan 12, 2012 at 12:20 AM
AnnieJo – I saw your reply on Daily Kos. I am not a registered user there, so I could not comment. I do want to thank you for following all the way through on this matter.
I really respect Mr Busch and knew that if you had a chance to speak with him, you’d be convinced that there was no political commentary intended.
AnnieJo said
Jan 12, 2012 at 12:42 AM
Nessa, you’d convinced me already! Thank you for that, and for giving me the nudge to contact Mr. Busch directly. I was honored to get the exclusive interview.
I hope I’ve convinced you too that this all started as an honest mistake… Best wishes to you and everyone involved with the Pulaski Red Raiders marching band!
Walter Eagle said
Jan 5, 2012 at 9:12 PM
Aint this America? The land of the free?
This is the part in the Frank Capra type movie, where the high school kids (Mickey Roonie, and Judie Garland) Wow everyone with a grand performance, only to come under criticism. “Gosh folks! We didn’t mean to offend anyone. We were just having fun. Our band director. We are mighty proud of him, and his wife and hungry kids. Please don’t throw them out in the street!”
This thing called music, as part of the arts, is open to interpretation. But I am perplexed at this idea that some might be offended, or suggest that a music performance should have met with more rigorous approval. That sounds more like sharia law, than liberty and justice.
Be it Red Wing, or Union Maid, it’s distinctly American, and it makes me proud. If this be a controversy, there’s something sad about it. But If this stirs more people to learn about Woody Guthrie, then it’s an education.
love_my_country said
Jan 7, 2012 at 11:58 PM
Yes, it is America. However, while it is legal, it is always wrong to misrepresent people’s intentions or exploit their actions for personal gain.
People aren’t offended because of a lack of approval regarding the song, but because of an attempt to misrepresent and exploit. And those who are being misrepresented are also free to defend themselves. It’s not Sharia law, it’s freedom of speech.
The union-backers must be pretty desperate if they are gloating over a 30-second band performance…
I think the school’s superintendent did a good job defending the song on Belling’s show last Wednesday:
http://media.ccomrcdn.com/media/station_content/3627/belling_1-4-12_2_1325720185_12215.mp3
Mary Alice Bates said
Jan 9, 2012 at 12:25 AM
There has long been a question as to what the ttle, “Redwing.” The rural folks often referred to the Red-Wing Blackbird, others referred to the town of Red Wing, MN.
Many of us must also remember that Woodie Guthrie was also adept at using a popular melody to which to attach his “take” on the world in which he lived. If the melody was “known” the words would fit and be remembered sooner.
My Dad was a country fiddler, and RedWing was one of his “standards.” He would have been playing it starting around 1910. I learned it in the late 1930′s.
Matt Gehri said
Jan 11, 2012 at 4:46 AM
It is just amazing to me how uninformed and ignorant people can take an experience that was supposed to be a once in a lifetime experience for these talented and hard working High School kids and ruin it with Politically motivated rancor and falsehoods. Let me tell you exactly what happened, because I was actually there, unlike most that have commented: On New Years Eve the Pulaski Band performed their Field show for a Tournament of Roses sponsored event called BandFest 2011. The Red Wing Polka was one of the songs in that performance. It was such a huge crowd pleaser on that day, the Director of Music for the Tournament of Roses specifically requested that the Pulaski Band make what is known as a “Parade stop” and perform part of that song for the Parade crowd on Jan 2nd. Since the parade stop was only allowed to be 30 seconds long, a small part of the Red Wing Polka was performed and the crowd loved it! Shame on all of you that find any hidden meaning in any part of what was and is simply a Polka performed by a top notch band for an enthusiastic crowd. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME ON YOU! An apology is in order from all of you to all of the kids that worked their butts off to make this a special day and your politicizing of this day tainted it.