Archbishop Sentamu Academy has teamed up with Nu Skool Music to compose a song with a big vision - to raise as much money as possible for Medecins Sans Frontieres, and be this year’s Christmas Number One.
Archbishop Sentamu Academy has teamed up with Nu Skool Music to compose a song with a big vision - to raise as much money as possible for Medecins Sans Frontieres, and be this year’s Christmas Number One.
Archbishop Sentamu Academy’s values are trust, love and community, and pupils and staff wanted to do something to help improve the lives of some of the world’s most unfortunate people. At this point the academy teamed up with Nu Skool Music to compose a song with a big vision - to raise as much money as possible for a charity that provides medical aid in over 60 countries around the world and in so doing to be this year’s Christmas Number One.
The students responded brilliantly to this challenge. Elle Ideson (15), Natalie Ciftciogullari (16) and Elliot Jarvis (15), all passionate musicians, vocalists and performers, worked tirelessly with Nu Skool Music Producer Chris Cooper and Film and Media teacher Carly Ager to compose the song. The result was “Move as One”, a powerful song conveying an optimistic message about how we can support each other through a spirit of unity.
Accompanying the song is an inspirational video led by academy student Paige Adamson (16). Paige recruited dancer Kaci-Leigh Moxon (14), Jade Farnill (15), Libby Hall (16), Aleesha Neill (16) and Olivia O’Loughlin (15), and together, they produced a dance to accompany the production, drawing on Hull’s cultural heritage as a seafaring city.
In keeping with the theme of unity, the song and the video also feature performances from pupils from three primary academies that are part of the Sentamu Academy Learning Trust (SALT). Furthermore, teachers from the academy both sang and played instruments that feature in the final production.
Having produced the song successfully, Chris Cooper, an up and coming music producer, songwriter and owner of the not-for-profit record label Nu Skool Music, arranged for the students to go to Abbey Road studios in London for the final mastering of the track. The students had a phenomenal time there and were immensely privileged to work with Geoff Pesche, a world-class music producer at the studios who has been responsible for mastering some of the biggest number 1 records of all time, and who has worked with Kylie Minogue, Coldplay, Basement Jaxx, Gorrillaz, Dizzee Rascal and Blur to name just a few. Geoff was quoted as saying “I get to do a few projects for schools & colleges during the year, your one was the best I’ve come across so far for sonic definition.”
To enhance the video further, the team approached Chris Hadfield, the Astronaut who tweeted a video of Hull and the Humber from space to use his images. Chris Hadfield himself was thrilled by the project and gave his full backing to it.
The song itself will be released for download just before Christmas, on the 18th December. We have set ourselves a goal of trying to raise at least a million pounds for the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres from its sales. You can help us reach that total by downloading the song. To find out when it will be available for preorder and downloading please visit www.facebook.com/nuskoolmusic and www.twitter.com/nuskoolmusicuk.
You can also show your support by sharing a photo of yourself having painted your best smiley face on the tip of your finger and simply adding the hashtag #moveasone to your post.