Derik Thomas of Lakeland FL, Eco Rappers from South Providence, RI
Win Song for the Earth Contest by Earth Day Network
(Washington, DC) – Sixteen year old musician Derik Thomas, of Lakeland, FL, a sophomore at the Lois Cowles Harrison Center for the Visual and Performing Arts has won the national Song for the Earth contest by Earth Day Network, an international nonprofit that coordinates Earth Day events.
The runners-up are an Eco-Rap student group from Providence, Rhode Island that attend music after school program called Nonviolent Verses, and attend Gilbert Stuart Middle School. Thomas will be performing a song he wrote, “The Brightest Light” at The Climate Rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC on Sunday April 25. Nonviolent Verses will be performing its eco-rap song “Save the World.” Both join a lineup that includes Sting, John Legend, The Roots, and other performers and speakers to help observe the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. “Derik Thomas is a talented young man and we were all inspired by the song he wrote for the Song for the Earth contest,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. “We are also thrilled to have Nonviolent Verses join us at the National Mall with their song about positive messages for the environment.”
“The song ‘The Brightest Light’ is all about how we are all reliant on the earth. If we do not conserve the earth, the entire human race is at risk. The song talks about that while we go through dark times and environmental concerns, we can ultimately come out better in the end. The line ‘I am my stranger’, means that we will never fully understand all the things that happen to us, whether it be in our personal lives or in our relationship to the planet, because everything is always in constant state of change. The line ‘But I’ve seen the brightest of lights’ represents our hope and optimism for our planet,” said Thomas.
Nonviolent Verses is an AfterZone after-school program that is run at several schools in Rhode Island by “Mr. Deep Positivity” James McBride. Students learn how to write and record their own positive rap songs. Mayra M., Johnathan G., Vardi M., Wandy J., Dimetri N., and Dante G. make up the Nonviolent Verses and are all students at Gilbert Stuart Middle school. The song titled, “Save the World” that was written and recorded by the Gilbert Stuart students was selected as runner up.
“The performance on the National Mall in Washington represents an amazing experience for all the Nonviolent Verses students and they are honored to be invited to perform,” said McBride. “These students all reside in South Providence, Rhode Island and this event represents an incredible opportunity for them."