By Barb Brouwer
Contributor
Music has the power to move people in many ways.
Three School District #83 music teachers and 225 students are hoping judges in CBC鈥檚 2023 Canadian Music Class Challenge will be moved to include their rendition of 鈥淭urning the Tide鈥� in the list of winners.
Every year, CBC Music in association with MusiCounts, the charity of the Juno Awards, challenges music educators from across Canada to teach their students a song from a pre-approved list of Canadian songs.
Once a class performance of the song has been captured on video, they send it to CBC Music where it is posted it on their YouTube channel
Bastion Elementary music teacher Shannon MacLachlan chose 鈥淭urning the Tide鈥� by West Coast composer and songwriter Luke Wallace. When she heard that Hillcrest Elementary music teacher Hannah Carrier had chosen the same song, they decided to collaborate and include North Shuswap music teacher Zachary Power.
鈥淎fter our region was ravaged by forest fires last summer, we felt that, as a district that we needed to come together to empower students to 鈥榯urn the tide鈥� on climate change,鈥� said MacLachlan. 鈥淲e have something to say, and that is to thank the people who help protect our land every day.鈥�
Because the original lyrics are very much West Coast related, MacLachlan wrote to the composer asking him if he would be willing to adapt the song for the Shuswap.
Not only did Wallace readily agree, he wanted to get input from the Grade 4 and 5 students about what mattered to them and what they love the most about where they live.
A massive Zoom call was set up between the composer and students from the three schools and ideas were plentiful. As a result, Wallace adapted the last three verses to include smoky skies, bears, salmon, Mother Nature being let down and hope that it鈥檚 not too late to save the planet.
These are the Shuswap verses:
Walking down to the water, follow the signs
Feel the wind and the sun as it shines
Put my feet in the river, and I start to shiver
Thinking about all the cedars and pines
We are the singers, singing our song,
鈥榯il the whole world is singing along
Like turning the Tide
I鈥檓 in love with the mountains, in love with the lakes
I鈥檓 gonna give more than I鈥檒l ever take
I鈥檓 in love with the salmon, in love with the bears
I think of the trees as I breathe in the air
I鈥檓 in love the feeling, the feeling I get
It鈥檚 a feeling I could never forget, like turning a tide
I see Mother Nature, being let down,
I think of my home and I think of my town
And I thank all the people, keeping us safe,
I鈥檝e got hope that it isn鈥檛 too late
We are the singers, singing our song,
鈥榯il the whole world is singing along
Like turning the Tide
鈥淥ur intention was to empower them to understand that even though it seems hopeless, they can work together and they can get through hard times together,鈥� said MacLachlan, pointing out students were very excited to be working with a celebrity, especially one who has appeared at Roots and Blues.鈥漈hey loved the idea of going to the North Shuswap so we could invite the Anglemont Fire Hall to attend. 鈥淲e Like to foster making people happy and bringing them together.鈥�
Rehearsals began in early September and on Nov. 16, the song was recorded at the Scotch Creek Campground where they thanked the heroes of the devastating Bush Creek East wildfire for their part in protecting North Shuswap properties.
The day was made more festive by the appearance of Graham Gomme, president of the North Okanagan Teachers Association, who showed up with coffee and more than 1,000 Timbits.
鈥淚 was so pleased how it all come together and the patience the group had,鈥� said MacLachlan, noting the 225 kids were sitting on gravel for some time while cameras and microphones were set up.
鈥淭hey had a lot of patience, kept their smiles and sang beautifully.鈥�
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