A Canadian musician has broken with the sexy music video stereotype and has created one that promotes positive body image and cultural diversity. Matt Stern recently went to the western city of Victoria and found it to be culturally uniform and reserved in comparison to his home town of Montreal.
Musician Matt Stern was inspired to put music the words of a book about values, dignity and respect. (Matt Stern)
Values, dignity, respect
Along the way he discovered a book called I Was Born Precious and Sacred. Author Debora Abood drew on her years of working with Indigenous peoples to look at how traditional teachings can show people of all cultures values, dignity and respect.
This inspired Stern to put the words to music in hopes it would help people understand their indelible value. He eventually recorded the song Precious and Sacred and it was played at the International Indigenous Early childhood Development Conference.
The song, which is now first on an album called Chance to Live, explores the need for personal freedom and living out one’s full potential.
Dancers of all ages, walks of life
The video involved a local burlesque dancer called The Velvet Unicorn, a hip hop dancer who is also an optician, a very tall bouncer and musical theatre aficionado and an eight-year-old dancer who has become a die-hard fan.
Stern is planning go on tour with his messages of self-worth and self-respect, and the richness of cultural collaboration and diversity. He will play in Vancouver Island on Canada’s west coast, California and Japan this year.
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