River Street Promotions (RSP), a local non-profit charity supporting youth mental wellness, gathered nearly 800 high school students on Dec. 7 and 8 to hear messages of hope, support, and resilience in what organizers say was a moving, unforgettable experience.
The event was "A Nashville Christmas" featuring Emily Shackelton, Sarah Darling, Jenn Bostic, Jonny Mo, and Lindsay Ell at the Mae Wilson Theatre. The concert was in the style of a songwriters' round, with song performances followed by stories and memories from the artists, followed by another round.
The main concert was Friday night, but Shackelton, Darling, Bostic, and Mo did two special concerts on the Thursday specifically for high school students from the Prairie South School Division and the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division (HTCSD).
Nearly 800 students were able to attend, and nine choir students actually joined the performers on stage on Friday evening for a rendition of "Don't Let This World Break Your Heart" — a song custom-written for the event.
"What a great experience for our kids in so many ways, right?" said Amanda Olson, superintendent of learning at Prairie South School Division (PSSD).
"Not just for (several choir students) to be able to perform alongside the artists, but also to hear about their journeys in life, in the music business, and a little bit about their mental health and wellness journeys.
"There were so many components to it, from the students being able to join them in a choir, the artists creating a custom song for them, two live performances bringing nearly 800 students from both Prairie South and Holy Trinity together, and then the evening concert for the community. It was a whirlwind two days."
Olson said it was quite an effort to organize the transport of so many kids, especially since the first Thursday concert was for rural students.
"Hats off to the wonderful team at Prairie South, it's definitely a joint effort. Dustin Swanson (superintendent of school operations) and myself were involved, and we reached out to staff, who expressed their interest.
"Our transportation department did a great job or co-ordinating everyone and getting the students to and from the venue, without them it definitely wouldn't have been possible. And the students really enjoyed it, so them coming and going was pretty easy and natural, as well."
Proceeds from A Nashville Christmas will go into the RSP Fund, a shared resource between PSSD and HTCSD. RSP organizers like Jared Mathieson work with Olson and leadership at HTCSD to make funds available for mental wellness events, individual school resources, bringing inspirational speakers, and more.
"Hearing these accomplished singers and songwriters talking about their struggles just kind of brings to life and reinforces the message that it's OK to not be OK, and we all struggle," Olson said.
"One thing that was shared is that resilience comes from hard times, and if something is too hard, don't be afraid to ask for help. And I think them sharing that they've been through hard times, too, helps break down the stigma around mental health."
She took notes during the concerts and said she wrote down at least 21 different inspiring messages shared with the youth. Staff at PSSD and HTCSD will be working to collate and distribute those messages, along with gathering feedback from students and staff who attended.
"Bringing 800 students together from both school divisions made an impact, but it certainly isn't all of the students who could benefit from hearing these things," Olson said. "I was just blown away, I was jotting it down as fast as I could. I expected them to share about their stories in the music industry and being persistent and persevering and things like that. But it was so much more than that.
"They spoke about grief, and loneliness, and reminding yourself on a regular basis that you are good enough. It brought tears to people's eyes, for sure."
Olson said none of the events would be possible without community support for the mental wellness of south Saskatchewan children and youth, participation in River Street Promotions events, sponsorships, and sharing.
"We thank everyone, so much, for supporting youth mental health, and Prairie South and Holy Trinity."
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