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‘MILITARY KID SONG’ SPREADS JOY IN SASEBO, JAPAN
Asong dedicated to Military BRATs — and sung by them — has been released on YouTube.
The “Military Kid Song” was written by a retiring educator who teaches for the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) to celebrate the unique experiences of militaryconnected students.
In 2017, Ryan Davis, who at that time served as a music teacher at Yokota West Elementary School in Japan, was leading a musical program for the Month of the Military Child.
“As I was preparing for the event, I couldn’t find a song about military kids living overseas,” Davis says. “With my music background and a class in composing during college, I felt confident I could put together a song to fill the need.”
Davis located a studio in Sasebo, reached out to the owner and a special cultural exchange opportunity followed. The owner, Hitoshi Yamachika, who also teaches music, not only agreed to allow Davis and DODEA students to record using his space – he also welcomed the use of his students’ talent for the instruments on the recording.
“The goal of the recording is to provide a song for the overseas military community, so they have a song written specifically about them for future Month of the Military Child events,” Davis says.
Scan the code below to listen to the “Military Kid Song” on YouTube. cultursmag.com/military-kid-song-spreads-joy
