Categories: News

Michelle Obama Gives Culture A Boost

There are more perks to being the first lady than being serenaded by Sir Paul McCartney, although that's certainly a highlight. Michelle Obama is especially keen on using her position to spread the word about young artists she feels deserving of recognition for their talent.

"When Paul McCartney was here singing 'Michelle,' I was like, I'm done; I can go home now," she said of her encounter with the Beatle in this month's Harper's Bazaar. But Obama's musical leanings were fostered young. "I was fortunate to grow up in a family that appreciates music," she said. "I remember very early on being the good fairy in 'Hansel and Gretel' and having to sing a solo, which was humiliating," she recalled.

Now, she wants to bring that same consciousness to American youth. "We want to lift young people up," she said. "The country needs to be mindful that we have all these diamonds out there, and it would be a shame not to invest in those talents." The First Lady is also aware of the international reach of the arts. "That's the beauty of arts and culture, music and dance," she said. "It's a universal voice. When I travel to other countries, usually the first thing the spouses do is introduce you to their cultures through music and dance."

Obama remembered fondly one day when she and French First Lady Carla Bruni got together for a jam session. "We gave her a Gibson guitar. When I came to visit, she pulled it out and played the most beautiful song. We were sitting there with family, and we started singing," she said.

The First Lady also considers her own children's cultural education, although she doesn't mind some pop indulgences. "I don't want them to develop just one taste. I want them to feel the power in country as much as they feel it in Justin Bieber," she said. "There is some power in the Bieber! But we don't have Fever." –AMY LEE

uInterview

Recent Posts

VIDEO: NASA Astronaut Donald Pettit Uses Lack Of Gravity For Creative Spin Shot

https://youtu.be/94cfNltHieY An astronaut onboard the International Space Station (ISS) used zero-gravity conditions to capture a…

2 hours ago

Chuck Woolery, Host of ‘Love Connection’ & ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ Dies At 83

Chuck Woolery, a prominent entertainment figure as a game show host, musician and later a…

4 hours ago

Conor McGregor Deletes Angry Posts Lashing Out At Victim Who Won $262,000 In Civil Assault Case Against Him

Conor McGregor has removed a series of heated social media posts criticizing Nikita Hand, the…

5 hours ago

Who Is Miss Universe 2024, Rape-Victim Victoria Kjær Theilvig Of Denmark, Who Grew Up In Family Of Drug Addicts?

Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark was crowned Miss Universe 2024 last week. She became the…

16 hours ago

VIDEO: Cincinnati Zoo Animals Have A Snow Day

https://youtu.be/sy8oPycsmfg Adorable footage taken by Brookfield Zoo Chicago shows their resident animals embracing the first…

16 hours ago

VIDEO: Fire At Oil Waste Treatment Plant Sends Plumes Of Smoke Skyward

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BrI_cGUV3Po A fire broke out at an oil waste treatment plant in Anelo, Argentina, on…

18 hours ago