Bringing together music and ecological science, the Rock the Salish Sea Concert Tour is coming to Squamish on April 27 at Valleycliffe Elementary School.
Songwriter Holly Arntzen and her partner Kevin Wright with the Wilds Band, will join forces with 185 kids performing original eco-rock songs.
“Music is such a powerful way to send out messages,” Arntzen said. “The focus of our work has always been to sing and to build a common ground in a community.”
Their mission is to inspire people to take local action to protect wild salmon, save the watersheds and address climate change.
Children take the issues to heart, Arntzen said, and people listen.
“Despite the fact that people may have different opinions, it is so important to have a starting point,” she said, noting they want to amplify conversations to bring people together instead of split them apart.
Forming as the group, The Artist Response Team in the ’90s, they discovered an appetite for bringing music with an environmental focus into schools. Teachers sign on to the project, dedicating class time so students can practice for months.
This spring, the group will tour seven communities located in watersheds around the Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia. More than 700 people turned out for the first Bellingham show in March.
All sponsors are dedicated to recycling and recovery businesses, like OK Tire that has a tire recycling round-up and school fundraiser at the end of the month. The group also received fundraising support from the Parent Advisory Committee at the elementary school.
“They have been doing everything they can to bring this project to Squamish,” Arntzen said.
Having salmon for the future means being educated and prepared, said Dr. Brian Riddell, president and CEO of the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
“That’s why about 40 per cent of grants through our Community Salmon Program are for projects focused on education, outreach and training that support people helping salmon,” he said.
“The Rock the Salish Sea Tour uses a very creative and effective platform for educating students and the community about salmon conservation,” Riddell said. “We greatly appreciate this program that is creating our future stream stewards and salmon voices.”
