I am a music person. I love music of all kinds, rock, pop, country, jazz, etc... I LOVE musicals. LOVE musicals. Music brings about emotions, sparks memories, and takes the listener to a different place. So, it's no surprise that I love Glee.
From its first episode, Glee received flack for being what it was. You either loved it or hated it, there wasn't much middle ground. You would either love a cover or hated that they ruined one of your favorite songs and/or artists. I'm guilty of the same when it came to their covers. Rent is my all-time, ab fab favorite musicals. I thought they BUTCHERED Take Me or Leave Me. But it brings me to my point.
Glee was, and is, revolutionary. It brought about awareness to the arts and drama programs, it brought about a new way of thinking. And most importantly, it brought, and brings, new fans to music they may never have heard before.
Glee has covered some amazing artists ranging from The Beatles to Joni Mitchell to Bowie to Otis Redding to The Carpenters. They've covered songs from SO many musicals, many most children (and adults) have never heard of: Gypsy, Oliver, Annie Get Your Gun, King and I, etc...
There are children out there singing Paradise by the Dashboard Light (Meatloaf) or Smile (Charlie Chaplin) or All the World to Me (Fred Astaire) or even Baby Got Back because of Glee. They him songs from Funny Girl or Guys and Dolls or Chorus Line because they saw it on their favorite show.
A couple of years ago, I was at Walmart with my oldest. We were behind a little girl who was probably 8 years old or so and she was singing The Beatles Blackbird to herself. Her mom asked her what she was singing. She said Kurt sang it last night. Her mom then explained it was The Beatles that sang it first. When I turned in a different aisle I couldn't help but smile as I listened to them talk about Beatles songs and mom telling her she had a cd in the car they would listen to on the way home.
Glee can be a polarizing show. But I applaud what it's done for its target audience. But even more, I love that there are more and more children today singing. Singing to themselves and to each other.
- Dawny Wendy
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