Pictured from left: Sam Crystal, Katie DeCecco, Carol Vinatieri, and Nate Dawes. Photo by Katie DeCecco.
Instead of fearing the National Register of Historic Places, Americans should embrace it.
That’s the message of a rap song and video created last semester by a group of historic preservation students as a class project for Assistant Professor Andréa Livi Smith, director of the Center for Historic Preservation.
The students posted their 5-minute video on You Tube in December, and it’s gone viral in preservation circles, with more than 8,000 views. The video caught the attention of The Huffington Post, which published an interview with the creators.
Seniors Sam Crystal, Katie DeCecco, Nate Dawes, and Carol Vinatieri – the Grumpy Group – wrote, performed, and recorded the National Register Rap using Fredericksburg-area historic sites as backdrops. Associate Professor Gary W. Stanton, the department chair, makes a cameo appearance.
The funny rap explains why we need the National Register – to protect buildings and other properties of exceptional historic value – but pokes gentle fun at the time-consuming, detail-intensive process of getting a property listed.
“The video was meant to really be an explanation of the National Register for the average Joe,” the students told The Huffington Post. “We understand that the NR can appear to be a daunting undertaking, and we wanted to produce something that simplified understanding the process.”