If Northerners are looking for a bit of heartwarming lift during their coronavirus social distancing efforts, they can now look forward to some pleasant radio jingles to pass the time.
Music NWT announced on Friday that Raven Mutford, a Grade 11 student from Sir John Franklin School in Yellowknife, is the first place winner of a recent social awareness radio ad campaign about the virus. She will receive a $1,000 cash prize.
https://www.facebook.com/musicnwt/videos/1259958944208441/?t=3
"I've been interested in writing songs for a while but I've never had any success with it or had any songs that I've actually written," Mutford said. "So I thought this would be a cool place to start."
Mutford has been playing the ukulele for just under a year and says she has been loving it. She also plays guitar and takes lessons at Fiddles & Stix.
"I decided to write a song on the ukulele because it is the instrument I'm most comfortable with," she said. "Then I got my dad to help me with some rhymes and stuff."
Mutford said she was pleased with the response she received from people online. Her Facebook video has 187 likes and 44 shares as of Saturday.
"It was crazy," she said of the reaction she received. "I wasn't expected the response it got. I shared it with my family and friends who had nice comments and stuff. But then there were a few comments from people that I didn't know on the video which was so nice and so uplifting and heartwarming."
Mutford said she is planning on using some of the prize money to purchase a sewing machine and saving the rest.
The contest
Musical artists from across the NWT responded to a call-out by Music NWT, the GNWT and NWT Association of Communities for resident to pitch half-minute radio jingles for a Radio Ad Writing Contest. The effort, which began March 26 and ended April 8, intends to share the importance of social distancing during the pandemic, particularly for Elders and loved ones.
A panel of judges from Music NWT, GNWT and NWTAC scored each video based on a number of factors that included their sense of creativity, musicality and whether it fit the theme of protecting Elders and loved ones from Covid-19.
"We also wanted to involve public and have their voices involved as well which was why we opened it to be voted on on through Music NWT," she said.
Nara Dapilos, a director with the Music NWT board, said Mutford's video scored highly in all of the criteria.
"Across the board with the judges she definitely had a really great impression," Dapilossaid. "Her ad fit the bill for a radio ad contest especially in promoting protecting Elders and loved ones and physical distancing."
Music NWT organizers were very happy with the turnout, particularly as entries came from outside Yellowknife, including from Fort Smith, Hay River and Fort Resolution.
"As the president I think it was fantastic," said Music NWT president Trevor Sinclair. The response was amazing. "We had 21 entrants with 27 songs in total.
"The response was outstanding and at last tally the collective views that I could see and over 31,000 views.
"For us it was outstanding but more importantly it was also about getting the message out around social distancing.
"Musicians have something to contribute when times are good and bad. People always like listening to music and hearing it and if that (radio jingles) is how we can get the message out and that is the way musicians can contribute, then that is how we will contribute."
Runners up
All top finishers will be featured on area radio stations, though the specifics on which radio stations they will be heard on or when they will begin are still being worked out, said Dapilos.
Runners up include Natasha Duchene and Taylor Saracuse, who took second place and $600.
Shawn Taggart placed third and he will pocket $500.
Grace Clark received an honourable mention and received $400.
