Paula Peterson
The South Lake Tahoe community is aware of Christmas Cheer, and how they serve those in the area by providing food and other necessities all year long. What the community may not be aware of is how students at Mt. Tallac High School came to help the non-profit agency this Christmas season.
Bob Lear, a board member of Christmas Cheer, approached Mt. Tallac Principal Holly Greenough when he was concerned of how the agency would be able to supply all they need to the community after the loss of one of their big donors.
Since the school cannot fundraise, Greenough thought, that since there are so many talented students at Mt. Tallac, there could be a creative way they could help.
What came out of their collaboration was a rap song, one that has been featured on local radio and television stations as a way to bring the plight of those in need to the forefront.
“We’re doing all we can to support our students, so when they find something they want to do, we’re doing to support them,” said Greenough. “We tell them, we’re going to help you get there.”
Five students got together and wrote, sang and produced the song with local rapper, Logic One, aka, Chris Butler. Butler has been a mentor to the students and was eager to help them on this endeavor.
One of the students he helps, Chaz Ross, has been rapping “forever” and is ready to drop his first album on January 1. “Logic” has been helping Chaz at his home studio and with his label, DoubleVisionRecords.com.
Chaz was joined by Kyra Washalefsky, Brianna Parra and Graciella Martinez in making the song. Logic helped pen some of the lyrics but the students all wrote their own parts
South Tahoe High students joined in the collaboration by helping with the mixing and recording of the song in one of the school’s sound rooms. Junior Kale Spina manned the boards and recording equipment with some help from Senior Jevon Rodgers. VTV (South Tahoe’s Viking Television) students Ryan Brown, Herschel Patel and Brady McIntyre came into the studio to record a session for their weekly show.
“It is important to give back,” said Logic. School counselor Amy Jackson, who was also on hand for the recording, said he has given a lot of hours to the students even as he helps raise his children and runs his own business. She said when he found out about the fundraising song he jumped in to help.
The song can be heard here: https://youtu.be/EcmknGsUYU8