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New song released by La Ronge and Stanley Mission high school students

Jun 17, 2021 | 4:30 PM

A song symbolizing the tribulations northern youth are feeling during the pandemic was released Monday on YouTube.

The song entitled Lock The Door is a collaboration between high school students at La Ronge’s Churchill Community High School and Stanley Mission’s Rhoda Hardlotte Memorial Keethanow High School. Music teacher Eliza Doyle explained the process began in April with two song writing sessions with spoken word poet and hip hop artist Zoey Roy.

“We all just logged on to Zoom at the same time and students from La Ronge and our students from Stanley Mission all worked together to create the lyrical content,” she said. “It was so great that we looked for more funding to get the song recorded and make a music video. Festival of Words from Moose Jaw partnered with us and helped make this dream a reality.”

Following the song writing sessions, audio engineers Riley Burr and Micah Erenberg visited each community to record the song while Brandon White captured video.

Doyle explained the song is about being misunderstood with the theme about doing the right thing even when it’s easy to do wrong. She noted it’s also about being able to open oneself to change and healing.

“We’re going to be starting another collaborative video project on Thursday, so keep an eye open for another video coming out,” Doyle said. “It will be done with elementary and middle year students.”

(YouTube/Camp Sask Arts)

The entire project took about two months. (Submitted photo/Brandon White)

One student from La Ronge who was involved in the song was 17-year-old Karis Oscienny, who said she would definitely like to be part of such a project again in the future. She was surprised at the finished product, adding she didn’t know it would also include a music video.

Oscienny explained the experience was empowering and gave her confidence in her own song writing capabilities. She was also happy the song went towards rap as it’s a genre she doesn’t listen to often.

“I really enjoyed working with the band and the people from Stanley Mission,” Oscienny said. “It was just a fun experience overall.”

derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno