Matthew Dailey Tackles Challenge Of Singing National Anthem At Coors Field
DENVER (CBS4) - Many young artists dream of singing the national anthem before thousands of fans at sporting events, but few get the chance to do it. Matthew Dailey, 30, set his eyes on performing arts at a young age. On Sept. 11, 2019, he crossed singing the anthem off the bucket list.
Dailey, a member of the "Miss Saigon" tour visiting the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, is a Littleton native. Dailey said performing at the DCPA was a dream come true, and singing the anthem at Broncos and Rockies games was the cherry on top.
However, one of the most challenging parts of singing the anthem is not stage fright. Rather, it is the reverb, or audio delay, the stadium speakers cause. At Coors Field, sometimes artists singing the anthem are hearing words they sang almost half-a-second before.
"The reverb and everything is crazy," Dailey told CBS4's Dillon Thomas. "Whatever you're singing you're hearing something from a second before."
The Colorado Rockies allowed CBS4's Dillon Thomas the chance to test out the delay. Dailey gave a tip to use earplugs, allowing the singer to hear themselves and not as much of the reverb.
Dailey said the earplugs, and confidence in yourself, are keys to singing the anthem well.
"I've done the (Miss Saigon) show 300-to-400 times. So, I know it, it is in my body. I sing the national anthem maybe once or twice a year," Dailey said. "You have to trust yourself and your abilities. You can do it."
Miss Saigon is at the DCPA through Sept. 22. Dailey will be performing on stage throughout. He said taking the stages at the Buelle Theater and Coors Field were part of his bucket list.
"It's the best, it is a dream come true," Dailey said. "(The anthem) is such an iconic song. It gets to blend a few of my passions, singing in the arts and sports."