Patriotic music fills the LaFayette Square
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — Patriotic music filled the LaFayette Square on Wednesday, July 1. Music education students from Auburn University played historic tunes at the Spot on the Square Pocket Park, organized by resident Randy Talley.
“I love doing stuff like this,” he said. “If five people show up or if 500 people show up, that's not the point. [The point of organizing this] was to have music being played throughout the town for all to hear. We're celebrating 250 years of freedom in this country, so we will begin with taps as a memorial recognition of those who have served in the armed forces.”
Talley said his decision to organize this event comes from his love of music and passion for sharing patriotic tunes with his community.
“I'm a music lover,” he said. “I had a shocker this year; a group of people could not sing patriotic music. We grew up singing patriotic music, and it's got a message behind it. [Today the musicians] will be playing ‘America the Beautiful,’ ‘My Country Tis of Thee’ is my favorite and ‘The Battle Hymnal Republic.’ They will also be playing Lee Greenwood's ‘God Bless the USA.’ And they will play ‘The National Anthem.’ There are also some other selections in there. We're going to conclude with singing ‘God Bless America.’”
A day of recognizing freedom, Talley said the patriotic music was a way to celebrate America 250 and the Fourth of July.
“It’s 250 years of freedom that we are taking for granted these days,” he said. “We have people who do not understand what this means, and it's scary. We have people in the political agenda who are bound and determined to destroy what this 250 stands for; we need to be constantly reminded of what's going on.”
Talley said he was excited to have three talented players from Auburn University visit LaFayette.
“I looked for some excellent musicians, and Ryan, a trumpet player, came highly recommended,” he said. “Then he helped me locate the other two. We have many people from here go to Auburn University, it’s a historical school, and that's what we're after.”
For those looking for ways to continue to celebrate America and patriotic pride, Talley said there are many ways to recognize the freedom America offers every day.
“Display the flag and do it with pride,” he said. “Somebody has made the comment, ‘Well, people just don't decorate for Fourth of July.’ [So I ask], ‘Why?’ We've gotten to the point where we are taking things for granted in this country. We've had it, we've been blessed and people just don't understand. We've got generations that are being raised who have no concept of what the Fourth of July means."
