On Saturday, May 4, and Saturday, May 11, 2019, Plymouth elementary school students had a rare opportunity to experience what it’s like to sing in a professional recording studio. Twenty-eight students from Cold Spring, Nathaniel Morton, West Elementary, South Elementary, Federal Furnace, and Hedge elementary schools participated in a recording project by Candido Bretto titled The Secrets of Plymouth Rock.
Candido composed twelve original songs based on the children’s book of the same name written by Diane Finn and illustrated by Erin Finn Zell. The students recorded their vocals at Johnny Drama Alves’ Funk Lab recording studio right here in Plymouth. EdTV was also on site, capturing video of the sessions for future airing.
“From the time I began writing the songs, I knew they needed children’s voices to be complete. It’s like a dream come true to hear all of their sweet, precious voices.”
— Candido Bretto
A heartfelt thank-you goes out to all of the music teachers who recognized the importance of this project and made time in their busy schedules to support it. A special thank-you goes to Taylor Nardone of Federal Furnace Elementary School for enthusiastically introducing the project to the schools. Taylor attended each school’s recording session and assisted in countless ways—thank you, Taylor!
Another huge “thank you” goes to the parents who generously gave up a few hours on a Saturday to bring their children to the studio. And most of all, thank you to the students. Watching you step up to the microphones at the Funk Lab was truly unforgettable. You made me laugh, you made me cry, but most of all, you made me proud—and you should be proud too. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are now the new voices of Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrims, and from what I’ve heard so far, people will be enjoying your voices for many years to come.
You can hear snippets of the students’ recordings as they are posted here page.
The CD will be available alongside the book in local stores and gift shops. It will also be available for download here and through online retailers.