{"id":1422,"date":"2016-01-12T21:45:02","date_gmt":"2016-01-12T21:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/somethingcollective.ca\/?p=1422"},"modified":"2016-01-13T03:10:43","modified_gmt":"2016-01-13T03:10:43","slug":"everybody-just-wants-to-be-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/somethingcollective.ca\/?p=1422","title":{"rendered":"Everybody Just Wants To Be Free"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IMG_1689\"
\n(Henderson student musicians with artist educators, Laura Barron and Liesa Norman)<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Most art starts with a concept. \u00a0A single moment that moves an artist to action. \u00a0Then, slowly, given the necessary space and time to create, ample resources, willing participants and a receptive audience, that spark only very rarely\u00a0has the great fortune to ignite into something beautiful – something bigger than the artists themselves – something greater than perhaps the artists could have ever imagined at the start. \u00a0The multi-school songwriting project,\u00a0Voice to Voice,\u00a0<\/em>led by Instruments of Change facilitating artists, Laura Barron, Dave Thompson and Liesa Norman in collaboration with 120 Grade 4-7 students from four diverse Vancouver primary schools (Henderson, Mt Pleasant, AR Lord, and York House) resulted in\u00a0just that kind of surprise.<\/p>\n

This project began with a series of arts-infused dialogues between these imaginative students and the facilitating artists. \u00a0The inquiry activities were aligned with the current Canadian federal election, allowing\u00a0students the opportunity to consider issues related to values, preferences, and liberties. \u00a0Rather than to politicize the discussion, artists asked the students to self-select into small groups connected to their own prioritized values (Sports, Arts and Community, Education, and Environment).<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1489\"
\n(Theme words brainstormed by Mt Pleasant students)<\/a><\/p>\n

Subsequently, students had fun exploring a variety of musical exercises that primed them to become performers and lyricists for their own original song and rap. \u00a0These included body percussion games, beat-boxing, imitating instruments with their voices (as in the popular video game Singing Monsters),<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>inventing\u00a0lyrics about animals to go along with a\u00a0Moose Juice\u00a0<\/em>rap,\u00a0and building Rhyme Banks\u00a0<\/em>around theme words related to their project concept, which they ultimately collectively agreed was about “freedom.”<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1730\"
\n(A “Freedom” poster painted by Henderson students)<\/em>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

With their new values-based small groups and their budding musical talents, these students then collaborated to write lyrics for an original song that they ultimately\u00a0entitled,\u00a0Everybody Just Wants To Be Free. \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>And based on a variety of exploratory exercises designed to determine the students’ musical preferences, they agreed that they would co-create a funk-rap pop song.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"IMG_1498\"<\/a>(Mt Pleasant students working on their lyrics with their teacher, Jug Sidhu)<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

To inform the lyric-writing process, students were asked the question, “If you were to run for Prime Minister, what would you pledge to include in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?”. \u00a0The students collectively agreed on a set of principles that each freedom needed to follow:\u00a0to be\u00a0Kind, Respectful, Safe, and Fair (which eventually became the lyrics for the bridge of their song). Then, finally, each group of approximately 6-8 students (4 groups per class) wrote 2, 4-beat rhyming lines representing their unique responses to this inquiry. \u00a0These original lyrics all contributed to the final 4-verse song, with accompanying intro, chorus, bridge and break. \u00a0And the sentiments expressed in their lyrics ran the gamut from profound to hilarious, as one might expect from 9-12 year olds. \u00a0A small sample of their verses are included here:<\/p>\n

If we\u2019re free<\/strong> to go to space<\/strong>, it won\u2019t <\/strong>be a disgrace<\/strong>,
\nwe can all<\/strong> be a part <\/strong>of the big<\/strong> space race<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

We should be a<\/strong>ble to play sports<\/strong> inside<\/strong> and out
\n<\/strong>Cuz if we do<\/strong> we\u2019ll have a ve<\/strong>ry good time<\/strong> and we will shout!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_1733\"<\/a>\"IMG_1752\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We should all <\/strong>be free<\/strong> to stay up late<\/strong> and have part<\/strong>ies,
\nso that we<\/strong> can eat a lot<\/strong> of salty chips<\/strong> and Smart<\/strong>ies!<\/p>\n

We need the right<\/strong> to have a bath<\/strong> in the kit<\/strong>chen sink<\/strong>,
\nespec<\/strong>ially when we think<\/strong> that we real<\/strong>ly do stink.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"IMG_1786\"<\/a>\"Screen<\/a><\/p>\n

As\u00a0Voice to Voice\u00a0<\/em>is about bringing unlikely communities together in artistic collaboration, Instruments of Change sought to find a way in which students from geographically, culturally, and socio-economically diverse areas of Vancouver could work together on a creative project, without having the opportunity to be\u00a0in the same place at the same time. \u00a0 \u00a0So, to effectively achieve this goal,\u00a0Instruments of Change decided to produce a multi-school, collaborative song and music video recording,\u00a0with the help of digital technology. \u00a0Over a three-month period, the artists led individual sessions with each of the four schools (which covered all of the inquiry, songwriting, audio and video recording activities). \u00a0 Then, masterful producer, Dave Thompson, skillfully edited all of the footage to equally represent the entire group of youth performers in the final product. \u00a0Here are a few shots from the recording sessions, where these students got to work with state-of-the art equipment, in their own school environment, using Dave’s mobile recording studio.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_5800\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a>\"IMG_6008\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_5718\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a> \"IMG_1772\"
\n<\/a>AR Lord, Dave with Henderson, Laura with Mt Pleasant, Henderson, and York House students in recording)<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Additionally, the youth contributed all of the storyboard, costume and set ideas for the music video, to capture the essence of all of the meaningful lyrics that they created, which resulted in some exquisite images and ideas.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1766\"<\/a> \"IMG_1760\"
\n(Mt Pleasant students expressing the rights that they wish all children could enjoy).<\/em>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

Ultimately,\u00a0Voice to Voice\u00a0<\/em>gave these youth, some of them for the first time ever, a chance to collectively share their voices, their critical thoughts, and their passions in a truly professional artistic product that they are eager to spread to a wider audience. \u00a0So, please enjoy watching and listening to\u00a0Everybody Just Wants To Be Free,\u00a0<\/em>below. \u00a0And forward it to everyone that you know who wants to be free too!<\/p>\n