THE ARTS BUS & IDA MAE SPECKER RELEASE “VERMONT, OUR HOME” MUSIC VIDEO & ORIGINAL SONG
RANDOLPH, VT – Vermont folk musician Ida Mae Specker and The Arts Bus announce the release of a sure-to-be-classic song “Vermont, Our Home” and accompanying music video. The song and video will debut at 11 a.m., Nov. 26, 2022, on The Arts Bus YouTube Channel and simultaneously on WCVR North Country 1320 including a live broadcast and interview with Specker. The Arts Bus YouTube Channel can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@artsbusvt
The project is the culmination of a summer of making folk music with Vermont youth in towns from Randolph to Rutland. Specker and The Arts Bus launched the project on June 21, 2022, International Make Music Day, with the intention of reaching children in summer camp programs across Southern and Central Vermont.
Earlier this year, The Arts Bus teamed with Vocal Booth to Go to convert interior of the bus into a sound booth, with customized designed panels, sound blankets, and digital recording equipment. Then, Specker packed up her fiddle, guitar and original song, and hit the road with the beloved green bus, along with a sound engineer and videographer to record sights and sounds. Remote location digital recording is a new medium of exploration for the bus and has opened avenues for creativity, including recording songs, soundtracks, interviews, and podcasts.
At each location, Specker collaborated with children to learn, sing, and record the song, which was written and composed by Ida Mae and her sister, Lila Specker, in early 2022. The song retells about the unique and magical experiences of growing up in the Green Mountain State. Ida Mae taught the basics of folk music, played the fiddle and guitar, demonstrated traditional folk dances, and performed live with the children.
“When we conceived of this idea to bring music to students around the state and record the performances, what we really hoped for was a musician with a desire to write an original song and a willingness to work with children. Ida Mae Specker made this wish come true! We couldn’t be more thrilled with the result, and the children loved it too!”
-Genny Albert, The Arts Bus Executive Director
As a part of the release, free sheet music has been provided to elementary school music teachers for a new, relatable and interactive Vermont common song to add to music programs and to be sung together for years to come.
Ida Mae Specker has played fiddle since childhood with her sister, Lila, as part of a multi-generational musical legacy inspired by their father, master fiddler John Specker, and his passion for the tradition. Ida Mae and Lila have spent their lives performing this cultural treasure for audiences and carry on the love for it by teaching the craft through fiddle, songwriting, and movement. As children born into a folk-playing legacy and now mothers themselves, the Specker sisters have an intrinsic desire to share the legacy with children in particular, having experienced the profound joy and personal growth that occurs when young minds are empowered by the art of music. Ida Mae was also a recipient of a FY22 Vermont Arts Council Artist’s Development Grant.
The recording has been released in honor of Ron and Reeta Coughenour, who made an indelible mark on Central Vermont with their charitable gift of the bus itself in 2010. This harmonic journey and artistic collaboration was part of The Arts Bus award-winning “Ever After Kids Program,” focused on taking the magic of the bus to kids in remote and underserved areas of Central Vermont. The program was made possible by grants from Vermont Arts Council, Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation, Couch Family Foundation, Windham Family Foundation, private donors, and camp partnerships with OnePlanet Afterschool & Camps and Rutland City Tapestry Program.
About The Arts Bus
Based in Randolph, VT, The Arts Bus first rolled in 2010 to empower children to find joy and authentic self-expression through the arts and (so far!) has directly impacted a child’s imagination over 15,000 times throughout Central Vermont. To support The Arts Bus and see the creative joy it empowers, including FREE SHEET MUSIC for this song, contact us at info@artsbusvt.org or visit our website at www.artsbusvt.org or our Facebook page @artsbusvt.
