A PROJECT involving pupils from Echline Primary School and students and staff from Edinburgh Napier University has hit the right note with the creation of a new school song.
Echline Feels Like Home has been written, performed and recorded by Primary Seven pupils at the school, supported by staff and students from Edinburgh Napier’s music department.
The song was written over a number of sessions within the primary school before being recorded by around 50 pupils in June at a studio within the University’s Merchiston-based School of Arts and Creative Industries.
The project was the brainchild of Edinburgh Napier music academic Dr Zack Moir and his brother Jude Moir, headteacher at Echline Primary School.
Edinburgh Napier music education students worked with pupils and helped them to write and produce the song which will now be left as a legacy gift to the school to be sung for years to come.
The song itself features lines such as: “We are friends ‘til the very end, and we’re always there to show we really care.”
The primary seven pupils were encouraged to reminisce on their time at the school and sing about some of their favourite experiences from throughout the last seven years.
Napier students were given a valuable opportunity to work in a school setting and teach pupils about writing songs and producing music, and gain experience performing, collaborating and working with young people.
Dr Zack Moir, Associate Professor of Music at Edinburgh Napier University, said: “It was great to be able to create an opportunity for our music education students to get into a school and work with these excellent young people.
“It was beautiful for me and my colleague Bryden Stillie to get to see our students running workshops, leading writing sessions, and just getting the pupils to feel excited about music and helping them to really believe that they are capable of writing songs and singing!”
Jude Moir, Headteacher at Echline Primary School, said: “The project was fantastic from start to finish. It allowed us to think deeply about our values as a school, and what aspirations we had for the future.
“Working alongside the University students gave the project authenticity and made the creative process very real and exciting.
This is something the children will remember forever, and the fact we can listen on Spotify was the icing on the cake.”
The full track is now available to stream on numerous platforms online including Spotify.
