The John Lennon Education Tour Bus

Other places The John Lennon Songwriting Contest

Next Destination: Diablo Valley College

Pleasant Hill, CA

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Students come together over John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

Mariah Hibbard

Some MU students combined their talents to create a new production

The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus rolled its way onto campus Oct. 19 to combine the talents of several students from the School of Music and the School of Journalism. Since 1998, this non-profit outreach program has sought to fulfill a simple mission of “providing students with increased access to music, audio, video and broadcast technologies.”

Keith Politte, manager of the Technology Testing Center at the Reynolds Journalism Institute, represented the School of Journalism at the event.

“This is a rare opportunity for students to get hands-on experience with cutting edge equipment,” he said. “It brings the schools together.”

The program was originally affiliated with the John Lennon Song Writing Contest, founded by Brian Rothschild and Yoko Ono Lennon. It has since evolved into its own entity, but it has maintained the original vision of encouraging the next generation of musicians and songwriters.

“The bus teaches kids how these things work,” senior Chelsea Secktnan said of the recording and production equipment. “It gives the opportunity to come together and create something.”

Students have one day to complete all aspects of the production process. Within nine hours, those involved have written, recorded and mixed their own original song or have produced and shot an accompanying video.

Kevin Hoy and the other engineers on board spend up to 10 months of the year living on the bus, traveling nationwide for the cause.

“We’re trying to expose students to a recording experience they wouldn’t otherwise have, we’re not looking for the next big band,” he said. “Our goal is to foster a sense of creative self-expression.”

There is no talent prerequisite or previous experience required to take advantage of this program.

“We’re interested in showing them how to create anything they can come up with in their minds, regardless of talent or money,” project engineer Doug Larson said.

The bus mobilizes an impressive arsenal of audio and visual weaponry divided into two studios, including Godin guitars, PA technology by Mackie and high definition monitors by Apple.

Also on board is what Hoy playfully describes as “the only Imagine Peace Tower replica-refrigerator combo in the world,” which is actually just a refrigerator with a model tower on it.

The traveling studio brings this state-of-the-art technology to students across the country. Although the program focuses on high schools, it delivers its creative energy to all ages, from kindergarten to college, with the help of 36 corporate sponsors, such as Sony and Apple, and some celebrity support. Famous names such as Will.i.Am, John Legend and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead have found themselves on board, both recording and working with students.

Students were selected from the jazz studies program within the School of Music. In addition, two students from the J school worked alongside in the video production aspect.

The combined talents came to be known as “Tiger Lizzy and the Mizzou-Keepers.” Their production “Peace and Harmony” can be found on the Tour Bus Web site, http://www.lennonbus.org. From Columbia, the bus is headed to Case Western Reserve University in Ohio and beyond, continuing its ongoing mission of carrying the message of creativity and free expression from coast to coast.

http://move.themaneater.com/stories/2009/10/23/students-come-together-over-john-lennon-educationa/
Published Oct 23rd, 2009

The Headlines

Stanford University “Game Day”
The Bus will lead its 2nd "Game Day" with Learning Games Network at Stanford University from Feb 11-13, bringing high school students together to develop an iOS app with Stanford undergrads and the JLETB engineers. The Bus will be open to the Stanford community from noon-4pm on Feb 13.
Live with Bootsy at NAMM
Friday night at NAMM the Lennon Bus hosted an event to commemorate the launch of the 2012 tour, capped off with a funktastic performance by Bootsy Collins and Verdine White. The Bus produced a live webstream of the event using our new TriCaster 850 Extreme and TodoCast satellite connection; if you missed it live you can still catch it on the DVR here: lennonbus.org/live. Stay tuned for future live events, happening regularly!
JLETB’s 15th Year Anniversary
The JLETB kicked-off its 15th year of bringing music education to students nationwide, with a special birthday party at the 2012 NAMM Show. The Bus unveiled a new arsenal of equipment for the 2012 year, including Avid® Pro Tools®|HDX, and live streaming capabilities made possible by NewTek and TodoCast that will allow the whole party to be seen live via www.lennonbus.org. Learn more here.

Video aboard the Bus

The increasing accessibility of digital technology has led to an amazing expansion of opportunity in the art of digital storytelling. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus has been at the forefront of this new media explosion, having produced daily video projects with students since January of 2001. The Lennon Bus puts state-of-the-art digital video equipment into the hands of workshop participants and teaches the entire digital workflow from storyboarding to web publication and DVD burning. Students leave the experience having shot, chopped, scored, and (most importantly) finished an entire digital video production. Using the latest cameras and professional hardware/software solutions including Avid Media Composer and Pro Tools, participants are exposed to the exciting world of digital videography and learn hot techniques of the trade. The accessibility of professional-quality technology is making it possible for millions of new voices to be heard and the John Lennon Bus is putting these tools into the hands of tomorrow's great digital producers. Subscribe to our Youtube channel so you never miss any of the amazing videos produced on the Lennon Bus.