Feature- Mastering national anthems: Kunsan vocalist accepts the challenge

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
  • 8th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  It was a joke at first -- Amanda "Mae" O'Brien belting out "Kansas City" in front of her middle school chorus class during auditions for a solo in the school play.

"I just got up and went for it. I didn't know I would be decent," the Chesterfield, Mass., native said, "but I got the solo."

Now a technical sergeant serving as the 8th Medical Group unit deployment manager at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, O'Brien uses her alto/soprano voice in a unique way -- singing the American and Korean national anthems.

Her talent helps ensure "The Star-Spangled Banner" and South Korean "Aegukga" are shown the same honors at events.

"While I don't think it is bad to have two people sing the songs, I think having one sing both represents another dimension of unity," said Maj. Joseph Rountree, a Korean-American 8th MDG patient advocate who helped teach O'Brien to minimize the effect of Hangul's elongated vowels while singing. "I think the ambassadorship is enhanced by her demonstrating the motivation and ability to sing both national anthems."

After landing that first middle school solo, O'Brien graduated from a performing arts charter school and got involved with music in other ways -- local town parades, church choir and karaoke lounges with her dad were ways her family bonded. Her father started his career as a radio announcer and now tours as a Roy Orbison ("Hey, Pretty Woman") impersonator.

"My daddy is without a doubt my biggest singing mentor," said O'Brien.

"It was evident that she was very musical at a young age," said Brian McCullough, who O'Brien credits as her biggest singing mentor. "She did a great deal of singing and dancing around the house whenever we spent time together. She developed favorites at a young age and often requested specific songs or singers from my collection."

The summer before her 16th birthday was spent with McCullough at a Six Flags in Texas where he was performing as part of Legends in Concert; she was taken with the performers, dancers and singers. She held a major role at another local Six Flags show after graduating, but made the decision to take her life in another direction -- joining the Air Force.

"I was initially concerned that her talent and training would be lost without having an outlet, but in typical Amanda fashion, she has found a way to have her cake and eat it too," said McCullough. "It gives me great pride to know of the contribution she is making performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Aegukga," but I also cherish memories of the little girl who sang in the back seat of my car."

The pride and patriotism O'Brien has is due in part from the influence of her maternal grandmother who had supported the World War II war effort and was president of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

"My grandmother was an amazing lady. Her brother had died as a tail gunner, but she was never bitter about it. She helped teach me that I was never entitled to anything," said O'Brien. "She definitely helped instill that patriotism in me."

Now, the girl who wasn't known for getting the big parts in high school is performing for larger crowds on a consistent basis. She performs regularly at promotion and monthly observation ceremonies, most recently the 7th Air Force annual awards ceremony and even her own promotion ceremony in February.

Her biggest audience so far: a quarter of a million people at AirFest 2010 in San Antonio.
"I feel the national anthem is really my niche," said O'Brien. "I still get nervous every time I perform. People take it seriously. I take it seriously and I don't want to let people down.

"People sometimes change the key and over-personalize it to show the range of their voice, but it isn't about the singer, it's about the anthem. It's not an opportunity to showcase me -- it's an opportunity to use whatever talent I have to serve my country."