A Lancaster County school board this week stood behind an administrative decision to remove two Top 40 hits from its high school marching band's upcoming repertoire because of suggestive lyrics.
Garden Spot High School's marching band had been practicing instrumental versions of Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven" and Fall Out Boy's "Thnks fr th Mmrs" for some time before administration decided to nix the songs as they contained inappropriate wording, according to school board members.
Board Member Heidi L. Zimmerman, who was among the majority vote, said parents in favor of the songs argued that spectators would only hear the music, not the lyrics, during a marching band performance.
But, since the tunes are popular music, people easily know the words.
Those lyrics, Zimmerman said, were "trashy" and "inappropriate" for high school students.
"The kids know those songs. They know the lyrics,". "When you play the music, the lyrics come to mind. And therefore those lyrics would be endorsed by the school, if the band is playing them on the field."
Board Member Thomas E. Wentzel said the music was chosen in May, but the matter came to the administration's attention, after the mother of a new student brought her concerns about the music to the principal of the high school in New Holland.
Personally, Wentzel didn't have much issue with the songs as instrumental music.
"I look back when I was growing up, the songs," Wentzel said, referring to rock bands from the late 1960s and early 1970s. "I think we're putting too much credence into the words that a song has and what it makes our children do."
I was about to say wtf, but the school does have an absolute right over what songs get played in their public events, gym classes, pep rallys, etc. It's a little overboard and the school administers should have better things to regulate, but whatever.
King of Controversy and Banned Music
"Your Sex Takes Me To Paradise." Did he lie?
Quote:
Imagine books and music and movies being filtered and homogenized. Certified. Approved for consumption. People will be happy to give up most of their culture for the assurance that the tiny bit that comes through is safe and clean. White noise.
but the matter came to the administration's attention, after the mother of a new student brought her concerns about the music to the principal of the high school in New Holland.
Mess. It's ALWAYS the freshmen parents that ruin it for the rest of the band
