Join me as I sit down with the remarkably talented Corinne Gibbons, an award-winning artist whose musical prowess has seen her collaborate with icons like Phil Collins and share stages with legends such as Don Burrows, George Golla, and The Count Basie Big Band. At just 24, Corinne had already made waves touring with Jack Sonni of Dire Straits and recording with Tower of Power. Her celebrated album “Melt,” in collaboration with National Geographic, not only showcases her artistic flair but also her dedication to environmental awareness, earning multiple accolades including a World Peace Award.
Beyond her impressive musical career, Corinne is a pioneering force in children’s creative education. Her “Search for the Sparkle” program has ignited a passion for music in thousands of children worldwide. Currently, she’s set to bring this program to the stage in NYC with John Tafone, furthering her commitment to multicultural storytelling and honoring indigenous wisdom.
In our interview, Corinne discusses her latest endeavor, The Youth Choir Project at COP28 in Dubai, and invites us all to lend our voices to not just a song, but a movement aimed at healing our planet. Prepare to be inspired by her story, her vision, and her unwavering belief in the power of music as a catalyst for social change.
Jonathan: Hi, Corinne.
Corinne: Lovely to be here, Jonathan.
Jonathan: Who are you? What’s your background?
Corinne: My background has been in music and is still currently in music. I’ve been a performing artist for the large percentage of my professional career. But my real passion is to actually activate other voices with a focus on children and to write songs to heal the world.
Jonathan: You’re working on a project at the Climate Conference 28 (COP28) in Dubai: The Youth Choir Project. What is it?
Corinne: It’s such an extraordinary experience and I’m really delighted to be part of it. Inviting the larger youth choir for Climate Action to gather and sing via Zoom, but also from Pre-record as well, and a live choir live on the stage on the 8th of December in Dubai. We’re going to be singing a song called “All of Us“ and the essence of the song is it’s going to take all of us to heal this world. And the time is now. Today’s the day.
Jonathan: Who can participate in the project and how?
Corinne: Everyone is welcome to participate in this project, whether you be a choir. It’s a super easy song to learn! It’s really simple. And we have all the music for you. We also have audio files for people that would prefer to just do it by ear. We’re catering for everybody, but if you are also a solo singer or you have a group of friends who you love to sing with, we would love to welcome you to be a participant too, and we can send the link, I believe, on this post, probably in the bio or wherever you go to post it.
Jonathan: Thanks, Corinne. Yes, I will just fade the link in right now together with a small preview of a group in Australia practicing the song.
Jonathan: So how is it going to work?
Corinne: We’ve divided into soprano, alto, and tenor because, you know, with choirs, normally you have the parts divided into those sections. However, you can choose to sing the entire song, it’s completely fine. And you can sing verse one, two and three and sing the melody on the chorus. You can basically choose your own adventure. We would love to include everybody’s voice in this. So whether you be a choir or a professional singing group or you’ve never sung before in your life, you’re all welcome to participate in this.
Jonathan: What’s the deadline for uploading the files?
Corinne: The deadline is the 1st of December. If you choose to be early, that would be awesome. But the deadline is the 1st of December. There’ll be two versions: one in English – because of course we’re all going to be singing in English on the eighth. So anyone who’s flying in from Zoom on the eighth, they will be singing in English. And then if you would like to upload a version to YouTube and actually translate the first chorus into your own language because the song starts with the chorus, then it would be really magical to see those YouTube clips come up with “It’s going to take all of us to heal this world,” “It’s going to take all of us to make a change” in your own language. I think that’s really special.
Take part
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of a worldwide movement for change. Join The Youth Choir Project and lend your voice to a song that’s set to echo around the globe. It’s simple to participate, and everyone is welcome. Grab the opportunity to sing “All of Us” and be part of this powerful call for climate action.
Submit your video by December 1st and be a harmony in the chorus calling for a better tomorrow. Click the link, sing your heart out, and let’s use our voices to make a difference. Now’s the time—let’s sing for the earth together.
