As Bristow's touring plans were put on hold, she created SongCatcher, a music education program to teach self-expression through songwriting to 7-10 year old kids in the local Wakatipu basin. The resulting, intensive 19-week workshop for seven youngsters turned into a group dubbed Jackie B and The Mini Band. The resulting five-track EP, SHOOTING STAR, documents their recordings, courtesy of 8 Pound Gorilla Records.
The vocals for SHOOTING STAR were recorded in St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Arrowtown, the backing music was recorded and produced by Bristow's long-term musical partner Mark Punch in Nashville, and the entire track was mastered at Studios 301 in Sydney, Australia (Their first song, "It's Christmas," was released in December and is not on the EP, but it still available on Amazon and Youtube).
While it's not addressed directly, the pandemic certainly has made children seek answers from all corners about returning the world to normalcy. "Shooting Star" tackles the topic in an oblique manner:
I see a shooting star
It's flying very fast
To make my wishes come true
For me and you
Climate change and the planet's future is addressed on "Earth Guardian," with a smidgen of New Zealand flavor when the kids sing "Every day is a little scarier like a wild boar trying to knock your door down." But they come full-circle and rejoice in having too much fun on "It's A Beautiful Day." Bristow is planning to take SongCatcher nationwide across New Zealand in 2022. It will be fun to chart her progress and what her charges produce on their own in the future.
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