Five years of Environment the Musical
April 2019 marks five years since the launch of the Environment the Musical pack. To celebrate we thought we’d look back on the last 5 years of spreading environmental messages through song and drama.
Dog Pooh! on the radio and big screen
In 2017 several Irish local authorities started using a song from ETM, Dog Pooh!, in anti-dog fouling radio ads. The ads highlighted how disgusting and inconvenient dog mess can be for the people unlucky to step in it or roll their wheelchair though it. It ran on six Irish radio stations including Radio Nova during 2017 and 2018. The goal was to make dog owners think about the potential impact their laziness can have on others. It might not be fun to clean up after your four-legged friend but it’s your responsibility as a dog owner. You can read more about the campaign in our original blog post: https://www.annettemcnelis.ie/dog-poop-protest-and-dog-pooh-on-the-radio/
The song has also been used in cinema ads with several different accompanying animations. Mayo County Council‘s is a bit on the graphic side but then dog poo is a gross issue at the best of times. Watch the ad here (just not when you’re eating!).
Environment the Musical on tour
Annette McNelis wrote ETM as a resource for schools and groups keen to spread environmental messages using song and drama. She designed the pack to be easy to use for everyone from teachers with no musical experience to full-time music teachers. It can be used to put on a full performance of Environment the Musical, to teach short scenes from it based on a particular theme or just the songs themselves.
Annette has been teaching music to children for many years and now uses those skills to deliver environmentally-themed workshops in schools. These often include songs from ETM– children absolutely love learning the Dog Pooh! song! Sustainability and reducing our personal consumption are other popular themes. Workshops can be tailored to cover topics that the children are already learning about during class time.
Annette has delivered workshops across Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Clare and Dublin for classes of all ages and abilities. If you’re interested in finding out more about environmentally-themed music workshops, just get in touch!
Launch of song sheets for all ETM songs
2019 saw the launch of song sheets for all 8 Environment the Musical songs. The pack is designed to make it easy for a teacher with no musical training to teach the songs. However, Annette decided to make sheet music available for teachers who wish to play the songs themselves rather than using the backing tracks provided or alongside them. The music is available as PDF downloads from the Environment the Musical store.
The Dog Pooh! remix
With the Dog Pooh! song playing on radio stations across the country it was only a matter of time before it was remixed. Steve Cooper did just that and shared his remix on his Instagram back in November 2018. It racked up listens on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and was also played on the radio. Cooper and Luke interviewed Annette live on air and even made a radio ad for Environment the Musical at the end of the interview! Check it out here.
Increasing focus on environmental issues
It can be easy to get disillusioned about climate change, littering and pollution but 2018 and 2019 have seen global concern for these issues gain even more traction. We’ve had the ‘Blue Planet effect’ i.e. increased awareness of plastic pollution thanks to the BBC’s Blue Planet II from late 2017. We’ve seen companies and organisations vow to ban single-use plastic, a war on plastic straws and wider use of ‘compostable disposables’. From students striking in February 2019, to Extinction Rebellion in London to Greta Thunberg addressing the UN Climate Change COP24 Conference, citizens are starting to rise up and ask their politicians to prioritise the environment.
Do you have an election coming up soon where you live? Now is the time to find out which politicians take climate change seriously and give them your vote. After all, the future is in our hands.