PaliHi students were selected to help write and record a song in the John Lennon bus.
In the John Lennon Music Education Bus is a framed 2013 thought from Yoko Ono.
WISH TREE
Make a wish.
Write it down on a piece of paper.
Fold it and tie it around a branch of a wish tree.
Ask your friend to do the same.
Keep wishing.
Until the branches are covered with wishes.
The nonprofit MySafe:LA took recovery a new step for some Altadena and Pacific Palisades high school students. In partnership with the John Lennon Music Education Bus, students from fire-impacted communities were placed in a professional recording environment February 3, 4 and 5.
The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a state-of-the-art nonprofit mobile production studio, outfitted with the latest audio and video technology. It was founded in 1998 by Yoko Ono and Brian Rothschild, to provide opportunities to create original art and media.
Executive Director and founder of MySafe:LA David Barrett is a lifelong musician and said he’s known about the Lennon Bus for 27 years. Bringing the bus to high schools, Barnett said, “It’s part of what we thought was important. We want to focus on people.”
The mission of MySafe:LA is to deliver critical life saving initiatives for students, families and older adults, focusing on essential information such as wildfire readiness. The nonprofit appeared before the Pacific Palisades Community Council in September 2024 and gave advice about wildfire and evacuations. And now he was back with his team on the Palisades High School campus click here.
Barrett saw the devastation of the fire and the impact and knows the steps that could have made a difference. But for now, it is about healing.
About 10-12 students in high school music programs were chosen to participate in the day long workshop. “The day starts with students talking about their emotions/fire experience,” Barrett said. “The students then write a song together.” Later in the afternoon, they shoot a music video. Barrett has said the video will be shared once it is completed.
Each Lennon Bus has a crew of three producer/engineers that works with the youth; making music, teaching digital media production, creating original content, and giving voice to the often unheard stories.
The cost of making the bus available to high school students in the three locations (Odyssey Charter, Blair and Palisades Charter) was about $70,000 and Barrett said money was raised by the nonprofit exclusively for this bus for the students.
Barrett said that MySafe:LA is also working on its fire safety mission and is planning workshops that will stimulate the start of the fire and help people in different zones learn everything they need to know about evacuation. He said there is a new Genesis App that will help with that.
Barrett was asked how people can use the App, when there is spotty cell phone service in the Palisades. He emphasized a Community Wildfire Protection Plan needs to be in place.
In addition to workshops, there will be more healing opportunities, such as the Lennon Bus. Which might involve an art exhibition or a story-writing contest.
For more information click here./
PaliHi newspaper students came to cover the John Lennon Bus story.