John Lennon back on tour

0
2191

By Kacie Leach

Sitting at the drum kit, waits to lay down his track during the recording session on the Lennon Bus. Photo by Lindsay Mitchell
Sitting at the drum kit, waits to lay down his track during the recording session on the Lennon Bus. Photo by Lindsay Mitchell

Imagine. John Lennon, co-founder of The Beatles, did just that. The Lennon Bus, so named to honor the musical visionary, is making it possible for students to explore their own creative voices rather than just imagining them.

Seniors Sydney Creer, Ryan Caviola, Tristin Sanders, Brandon Marzka and junior Gage Walker spent all day Monday on the Bus, producing, recording and filming an original song of their own utilizing state-of-the-art professional equipment such as Canon cameras, Apple computers and iOS devices, Gibson and Epiphone guitars, OWC storage solutions, Genelec Speakers, and Yamaha keyboards and drums. A professional producer and engineer were on board to assist the students in their creative endeavors.

“It was cool making a band with some good friends and some people I probably would’ve never met. The workers on the bus were super fun and helpful. It was an overall great day I will never forget,” Creer said.

The Lennon Bus program, which began in 1998, provides free music, audio, video and broadcast technology education to students across the United States who partake in musical programs or have an interest in music.

“The experience was really educational for me because I’m planning on going into the music industry after college. It was nice to get a little taste of what it is really like to record and produce,” Sanders said.

The Bus is a traveling recording studio, with a front studio that is used as the audio and video production room, as well as the rear studio which is used for professional recordings and also has a chromate, otherwise known as a green screen. It also houses the latest digital photographic tools and applications.

Yearbook photographer, broadcast videographer and Photography III student Lindsay Mitchell, 11, also spent the day on the bus documenting the experiences of the students on board.

“It was one of the best photo experiences I’ve ever had. There was so much amazing equipment on board. I learned a ton more about cameras and photography,” Mitchell said.

The 2015 Bus Lennon Bus Tour marks the 75th anniversary of John Lennon’s birthday. As Yoko Ono said, “This is precisely the kind of project John Lennon would have loved” (www.lennonbus.org).

Imagine that.