Watch Lindsay Ell Write a Song With Nashville Fourth Graders

She's helping keep music education alive despite COVID-19.

Written by Chris Parton
Watch Lindsay Ell Write a Song With Nashville Fourth Graders
Lindsay Ell; Photo credit: Jeremy Cowart

Country hit maker Lindsay Ell doesn’t just believe in the power of music — she’s teaching it, and the result is a new generation of songwriters.

After becoming the Country Music Association’s newest Artist Ambassador in January, the heart theory star has been looking for ways to bring attention to the need for music education — especially since COVID-19 has changed the way kids go to school. Educational priorities may have changed, but the benefit of an appreciation for music is still the same. So Ell and a fourth grade class from Nashville’s Mt. View Elementary proved it by writing a song together.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Lindsay Ell (@lindsayell)

Getting together over Zoom, Ell and the class created a whole new song to celebrate the start of Music In Our Schools Month, and you can see the results in the video above. Some kids were so moved they actually started learning how to play the piano as well, and now they practice their new song on the keys each day.

It was all part of the CMA’s Unified Voices for Music Education (UVfME) initiative, and finds Ell sharing a secret that she’s known all her life. Namely, that music can be more than just a fun diversion for too-busy school kids.

“Music education was such an important part of my childhood,” she explained in January, back when she became a CMA Artist Ambassador. “Growing up I learned to lean into music as an outlet thanks to the guidance and encouragement of some truly amazing teachers. Music is an incredible connector that helps us process our emotions, which is incredibly important given the current state of the world and the weight we are all feeling. Being able to teach the power of music to students in school at an early age is a gift that I believe will serve them in so many ways for the rest of their lives. It is truly an honor to be named an Artist Ambassador for the CMA Foundation’s Unified Voices for Music Education program. I am so excited to highlight the impact our amazing music teachers across this country have on students through music education, and to pay forward the gifts my teachers shared with me.”

Along with the co-written song, Lindsay Ell has also been helping get kids interested in music with special content like this video tutorial on how to tune and restring a guitar. She joins fellow country artists Jimmie Allen and Ashley McBryde on the CMA team, and together they continue to find unique ways of pumping up the cause’s visibility. Stay in the loop by subscribing to the CMA Foundation’s social media channels.