Hillcrest Elementary Grade 5 students have won over a fan in award-winning Canadian indie rocker Hawksley Workman.
On Friday, Nov. 19, the school鈥檚 video entry in this year鈥檚 CBC Music Class Challenge hit YouTube. It features the school鈥檚 Grade 5 students performing the Workman song, Safe and Sound, from his 1999 album, For Him and the Girls.
Workman spotted the video on Saturday and shared his appreciation on Twitter:
鈥淥MGoodness鈥� another artful, stunning and emotional rendition of 鈥afe and sound鈥� from Hillcrest Elementary鈥� I鈥檓 floored again鈥︹��
OMGoodness... another artful, stunning and emotional rendition of *safe and sound* from Hillcrest Elementary... i'm floored again...
鈥� Hawksley Workman (@HawksleyWorkman)
Hillcrest music teacher (and Workman fan) Brook Roberts replied, saying he was happy Workman took the time to watch the video and he looked forward to telling the students. Workman, in response, said, 鈥渕y goodness Mr. Roberts鈥� it鈥檚 SO beautiful and the innovation and cleverness of the video can鈥檛 be understated! so much imagination!鈥�
Roberts started sharing the positive feedback with students on Monday.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the coolest 鈥� what a great guy,鈥� said Roberts.
The video, described as a 鈥渃ar-tune,鈥� with parts of it having an illustrated look using coloured cardboard cutouts of buildings and trees in the background and a Volkswagen Beetle travelling in front, with students taking turns singing in the driver and front passenger seats. Brooks explained the video was influenced by the song, which he picked from the list of Canadian artists鈥� songs available to choose from in this year鈥檚 Music Class Challenge.
鈥淭his is the first year there has been a Hawksley Workman song on the list so I was drawn to it, probably initially by that鈥�,鈥� said Roberts.
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The video came together over a couple of months, starting with a drawing on a whiteboard in Roberts鈥� classroom. As the project developed, it became a conversation piece among the younger students.
鈥淚 sat in the car and just did my lessons in the car for kids鈥�,鈥� said Brooks. 鈥淚t became a discussion piece and I think the value in that is it鈥檚 sharing with younger kids what the older kids are doing and I think that just kind of helps move the music program forward, with the younger kids thinking about what鈥檚 going to be happening next year.鈥�
The project hit a speed bump at the beginning of November when potential COVID-19 exposures required students involved in the project to self-isolate. But filming came together on Nov. 10, after the school鈥檚 outdoor Remembrance Day assembly.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a live-off-the floor recording and that鈥檚 what they want鈥� It鈥檚 all happening right there,鈥� said Roberts, crediting teacher Tyra Menzies for camera work and involvement in the project.
Hillcrest was a finalist in the 2019 CBC Music Class Challenge with students鈥� version of Wolves Don鈥檛 Live By The Rules by Elisapie.
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