The Great Canadian Gold Rush of 2010
A frame from B.C. school video, The Great Canadian Gold Rush of 2010 — a Winter Games tribute song. Watch it below.
Who: Kelowna’s Bankhead Elementary music teacher John Vesterinen and the school’s Bulldog Choir and Orff-Ans musicians.
[The Orff Method is a way of teaching children about music that engages their mind and body through a mixture of singing, dancing, acting and the use of percussion instruments (e.g., xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels). ]
What: Mr. Vesterinen has written a Vancouver 2010 Winter Games tribute song called “The Great Canadian Gold Rush of 2010.” It’s loosely based on the Bob and Doug McKenzie 1980’s hit, “Great White North.”
Q: How did you get the inspiration to write “The Great Canadian Goldrush of 2010”?
John Vesterinen: I awoke from a dream at 4:00 a.m. Dec. 22nd with the song title in my head and a few verses. I didn't dare go back to bed perchance the midnight muse of lyrics and title would be lost so I got up and jotted down the gist of my song! I finished it the next day.
Q: What educational value do you think the Olympic Games can offer to students?
John Vesterinen: The Olympics are an inspiration to young and old alike – it’s a gathering of people all over the world going for their dreams. They believe in themselves but also represent their countries. What a multicultural gathering of sportsmanship and fair play! To reference my song, I can only dream that the political leaders of the world see how brothers and sisters around the world come together in peace and harmony!
Q: What benefits do you see students getting out of participating in music? Why is music education important?
John Vesterinen: Music is a creative outlet for students to learn about the world and themselves. It lets us put into 'feelings' things we cannot put into words. Music exercises all parts of the brain. So what better exercise can there be than music?
Q: Can you share with me what this experience has been like? (Teaching the song to the students, practising)
John Vesterinen: My students are amazing! We started with just the lyrics and then they asked if we could add the Orff instruments to it. They love playing their Orffs. They were right! I threw in a little melodic hook and it added another dynamic dimension to it.
Watch the video! Lyrics below! Go Canada Go!
'The Great Canadian Gold Rush of 2010'
Music & Lyrics by: John Vesterinen Dec. 2009
Intro: ‘The Call of the Great White North’
Koo-Roo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo
The ‘Call of the Great White North’
Echoes throughout the land
We sing it loud, we sing it proud
Every child, woman & man
O Canada, O Canada
Those words flow through my veins
With glowing hearts right from the start
For the Vancouver Olympic Games
Koo-Roo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo
Blue, yellow, black, green & red
Colours of the rings illuminate my head
Swifter, Higher, Stronger
We’re gonna see it in our own back yard
We’ll skate & ski so joyously
We’re gonna hurry & ‘Hurry Hard’
Koo-Roo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo
The Great Canadian Gold Rush of 2010
We sing it loud, we sing it proud
We call the world our friend
Brothers & sisters, ‘round the world
These words have a beautiful flow to’em
We truly believe that the Maple Leaf
Will ‘Own the Podium’ * We’ll ‘Own the Podium’
Koo-Roo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo
The world has come together as one big family
To prove that we can all live in peace & harmony
