After everything that’s happened in the past year, it can — at many times — be difficult to see the good in the world. As we grow aware of the corruption, brutality, and hatred festering in the country the world seems to lose its color.
In times such as this, we are in need of powerful reminders that people as a whole are good at heart.
But how can we remind people? Give them something that unites them; and what better way than with music? Clarksville Elementary music teacher, Emmy Bodney, had the same idea.
Bodney enlisted the help of her students to sing a vocal rendition of Michael Jackson’s and Lionel Richie’s 1985 charity single, “We are the World.”
The song was created to raise money for a famine plaguing Ethiopia and featured many singers and artists popular during the 80s. Bodney felt it was the perfect song to use.
“It made sense to be able to connect people,” Bodney said in an interview with WHAS 11, “to be able to talk about the lyrics and have the kids work through their own emotions of what they were going through with COVID — because it affected us as adults, but it also affected the kids whether they showed it or not.”
Around 500 students contributed their vocals for the music video.
With the help of her students, and Michael Sander, a parent and music store employee who recorded edited the video, Bodner gathered her students in the school’s gymnasium to give them the necessary guidance. Bondey wanted to also give the parents a special performance by her students for the end of the school year, as the pandemic required all performances canceled.
Many students were given a solo part and gleefully took the opportunity to show off their pipes.
Fourth-grader and solo performer, Olivia Glover, also wanted to make people happy with music.
“It’s a happy song that spreads positivity to people in other places that may not have the best places around, so if they could hear the song, they could feel happy inside,” said Glover.
The end product is not just another moving rendition. “We are the World” has a central message of unity and love, a timeless theme, especially during such a tumultuous period for our children.
Aside from the vocals, another major changeup was the inclusion of a rap break, also performed by the students.
What you end up having is a wonderful iteration of a powerfully relevant song reshaped for a younger, newer generation. Our tastes in music might change over the years, but the core of it remains the same: it soothes our wholes and unities us as one people. And with everything happening now, it’s something we all desperately need.
Since uploading the video to the school’s YouTube channel, it’s racked up over 488K views. Their story has been making headlines too.
If you’re going through a stressful period and need to be uplifted, check out the video below!
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