Wichita ? About 50 Kansans lined up Friday for their turn to belt out “The Star Spangled Banner” as part of the National Anthem Project, which is seeking one winner per state.

Each participant got a gold-colored medal; the winner gets a $1,000 donation to the school music education program they choose.

The tapes will be sent to a judging panel in Washington, D.C. All 50 winners will be invited to perform in a concert in the nation’s capital in 2007.

The bigger mission of the yearlong project is to bring people back to the heritage music of America, said Vanessa Mason.

Mason, based in Chicago, said the project was initiated by the National Association for Music Education.

Mason’s first stop was Miami in January. Wichita is her 14th stop, right after Kansas City and before Oklahoma City.

“A (Harris Poll) survey showed that two-thirds of the American people don’t know all the words to our national anthem, probably because of cuts in school music programs,” Mason said.

Alex Donohoo, 17, sings the Star-Spangled

“Our goal is to re-teach America the words and make them aware of the plight of music education in our schools. With all the cuts, students do not have the opportunity to learn the songs of our country,” she said.

Mason, who said that about 100 people recorded their versions in Miami in the midst of Orange Bowl crowds, noted that Wichita was approaching half that number by noon Friday.

“It’s all ages, both men and women,” she said. “It’s great to watch them pick up the mike, step right up and sing out proudly.”

John Paul Eichelberger, 12, showed up to sing even though he had braces put on his teeth the day before. The sixth-grader said the right side of his mouth was still sore.

“I could have done better,” he said. “I didn’t mean to start so high.”

But his mother said he did fine.

“He hammered it,” said Patti Eichelberger. “I knew he would.”