LOVELL, Wyoming (STPNS) --

Amber Savage, a senior at Lovell High School, has been tapped by the National Anthem Project to perform on the float it is sponsoring in the legendary Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan 1.

When a  recent Harris poll discovered perhaps as many as two-thirds of Americans do not know the lyrics of the national anthem, the National Association for Music Education spawned the National Anthem Project to teach the words and point out the importance of music education in schools.



To forward the program, a trade association is sponsoring the float and has invited the National Anthem Project Honors Choir to perform aboard it, along with The Oak Ridge Boys.

Savage is a member of the swing choir at LHS. The director of the choir, Linnae Dickson, was approached about a month ago by the search committee for recommendations of students that might be interested in participating in the parade.

Because Dickson gave Savage and another student, Lauren Moncur, such unqualified recommendations, they were both accepted without having to send in audition tapes. Moncur was unable to travel to Pasadena because of family commitments out of town over the Christmas holiday.

The coordinators of the project e-mailed music and lyrics of three pieces of music with patriotic themes to Savage, and she downloaded them and took them to Dickson.

Dickson said, though, that the pair only had to practice one evening before Savage had the pieces down pat.

"That's one thing that makes Amber so good," Dickson said. "She hears a piece once or twice and she has it. She learns the music very quickly."

Even though the students that make up the honor choir have to pay their own way to California, it was such a great opportunity that the Savages jumped at the chance for Amber to perform. "How many kids get the chance to be in the Rose Bowl Parade ?" said Rhonda Savage, Amber's mother.  

Amber Savage left the evening of Dec. 25 for California, where she was visiting some relatives before reporting Thursday to Pasadena. She will practice with the other 99 members of the choir from around the country.

"That is the coolest thing to me, that kids from big towns and private schools probably get this kind of opportunity a lot, but not so much for kids from small schools. But the music binds us together," she said.

Besides practice, Savage will also be fitted for a costume, help with construction of the float and perform at Disneyland. She will be back in Lovell in time to return to school on Jan. 3.