Jim Stone Hillbillies participate in music video contest
Although a group of 25 first-grade students from Jim Stone Elementary School did not win the grand prize in a music video contest, they definitely got more than 15 minutes of fame.
Dustin Smith's class entered the Interwrite Makeover Video Contest and was one of more than 300 entries from around the world.
"There were contestants from as far away as New Zealand and the U.K. and out of all of those we got an honorable mention," Smith said. "It was a big honor so we were happy to get that."
The class's video was selected for the best television theme song parody for a performance about their technology-deprived classroom to the tune of the "Beverly Hillbillies" theme song.
The purpose of the video was to portray a need of technology for a classroom or a specific class project and the grand prize is a room makeover complete with all the latest technology.
Smith said he hates that his group is still not involved in the voting but added he is very proud of their music video.
"They loved doing the video and it was a really big deal to them," Smith said. "Whether we won or not they felt like stars for about a month and they really enjoyed all of the attention."
Smith said he first heard about the contest when Starla Gresham, Gifted and Talented specialist, put a flyer in his box with a note saying it would be right up his alley.
"I debated doing it even after Mrs. Gresham encouraged me to, but then the 'Beverly Hillbillies' song kind of kept creeping into my head and I ran with it," Smith said. "I've always written music and the rhymes started to come out, so we went ahead and shot the video."
Smith is featured in the video, guitar in hand, singing about how much he and the students would "love some new gadgets" for his room and saying how much he would like to "turn this shack into the Beverly Hills of classrooms."
Mark Lewis, Jim Stone principal, even made a cameo appearance in the video and said he was impressed with how Smith incorporated his personality and creativity into the project.
"Dustin is so gifted in technology and he put a lot of time into the video on top of everything else he does," Lewis said Friday. "And they had a fun time doing it."
To see the contest entry submitted by Smith and his students and the other videos that received honorable mention, visit www.interwrit elearning.com.
(Staff writer Jessica Bauer can be reached by e-mail at jessica.bauer@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1236. To comment on this and other stories in the Log Cabin, log on to www.thecabin.net. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)