Welcome to March, the month of changes, blustery winds, and the hope of spring for us in the North.
It's the time when spring starts its "march" towards the northeast United States. It's the time of strong winds and the "March goes in like a lion, and out like a lamb" rhyme that the weather in New York State laughs at.
And it's a time for music - March 21 to May 9, 2022, specifically.
Finally, the United States is getting its version of the Eurovision Song Contest that has captivated so much of Europe since 1956. It's called the American Song Contest and it will be broadcast starting March 21. Its final will slightly overlap with Eurovision, which is held each May.
Contestants will come from all 50 U.S. States, the District of Columbia (where our Capitol is), and five territories (Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and American Samoa).
If you are not familiar with the Eurovision Song Contest, here's some of its music. And here's a little history.
All songs in the American Song Contest must be original.
Sadly, I had not heard of Eurovision until last year, and there are many Americans who have never heard of it, either. I watched most of the finals on Peacock.
One of the co-hosts of the American Song Contest, Kelly Clarkson, was an early winner of American Idol, and recently gave the interview above.
Clarkson and her band previously covered a song called Arcade, which won the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.
I first found out about the American Song Contest last year, researching one of my 2021 posts about the Eurovision Song Contest. At that time I wondered if it could help our country reunite. We are so divided along political lines and along what I would call pandemic related lines. Now, another year has passed and we need something to unite us more than ever.
Can anything unite us? Can a music contest?
Will you watch?
