Sing Out For The Earth virtual concerts feature B.C. Students

BC Used Oil Management Association partners with ARTist Response Team to launch virtual concerts where K-7 students sing out for oceans, watersheds and nature

We are very excited to announce the launch of two Sing Out For The Earth virtual concerts, developed in partnership with Artist Response Team (ART).

Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright of ART worked remotely with two B.C. schools to produce 20-minute virtual concerts featuring K-7 students singing out for oceans, watersheds and nature. The schools participating in the concerts are A.J. Elliott Elementary (33 students), located in the fishing village of Sointula on Malcolm Island, off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island; and Haisla Community School (75 students), which is in the First Nations village of Kitimaat.

“These virtual concerts are both educational and very entertaining, and you can tell that the children are having a great time,” said David Lawes, CEO of BCUOMA. “The past year has been a challenging time for ART as they have had to pivot away from their traditional in-person teaching and performing model, but they persevered and came up with an innovative and successful solution. These virtual concerts are extremely well done, and provide students with a creative opportunity to learn about our ecosystem, sustainability and the importance of recycling while having fun. We have partnered with ART for the past six years, and they continue to think outside the box when it comes to educating through music.”

“Sing Out For The Earth was developed in response to the pandemic shutdown in March 2020, when we could not longer create and produce live music programs in schools. With the support of BCUOMA and Tire Stewardship of B.C., we developed a series of online videos that help teachers bring music and ecological education into the classroom,” said Holly Arntzen, co-founder of ARTist Response Team. “The blessing in disguise is that these videos and programs will be useful even after live music programs are allowed back in schools. ”

“Students practiced for several weeks, learning songs and actions, and preparing introductions for the songs. We filmed the students singing, and sent the footage to ART, to be edited into a professional, fun virtual concert,” said Melody Watson, Principal, A. J. Elliott Elementary School. “Sing Out For The Earth is a way to create a special musical experience for students…in a year when so many of the special activities we normally participate in were unable to take place.”

“When Holly Arntzen and Kevin Wright from ART proposed to us the Sing Out For The Earth virtual concert, we knew that this was a fantastic opportunity for our students to show resilience and innovation during a time when so many activities were being cancelled,” said Leana Brady, Vice Principal at Haisla Community School. “The musical program brought the students together as they learned and sang about our natural environment. It has been a successful, fun and entertaining learning experience, and the students are very excited to share their performance with everyone. Also with it being a virtual platform, it allows anyone, anywhere to watch, learn and enjoy.”

Click here for more information on the Sing Out For The Earth Concert Series.