Johannesburg - Young Quinley Wild admits that he is often mocked by his classmates for being vegan and for showing an interest and passion in the environment.
“It’s been really tough trying to speak to my classmates about the environment, they make fun of me for being vegan,” says the 13-year-old.
“I have struggled to get them to see that the world is facing a crisis and we have to make some changes, everyone has to, to make sure that we live well in the future.”
But the mockery means little to him.
He is focused on doing his part to help the environment and hasn’t given up hope that one day his classmates will understand the importance of taking care of the environment.
“I am going to be an adult one day, and if there is no food growing and famine, my life will be terrible, a real struggle, and if I have children what will their lives be like? We have to make sure we have healthy soil to grow food and lots of trees to shade the earth and reduce carbon footprints.”
In an effort to create awareness around the environment, the Cape Town-based teenager recently launched his very own music video, SOS (Save Our Soil).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LSpxylsPOUThe track, which was released last week on a streaming platform to over 120 million viewers, focuses on humanity coming together to help heal the world.
Quinley worked closely with his mom, actress, and author Casey B Dolan, and produced it in just over three-and-a-half weeks.
They also managed to rope in some of SA’s biggest entertainers including The One Who Sings (formerly known as Zolani Mahola of Freshly Ground), two-time Grammy award winner Robin Hogarth, The Khayelitsha Children’s Choir, international director Amanda Evans, renowned cinematographer Falk Eggert, Theo Crous (music producer and Springbok Nude Girls guitarist), as well as teenage music sensation Morgan Visser, and singer Leah Clarke to feature on the song.
The song was also shot with zero budget, with the majority of entertainers doing the work pro bono. The only entertainers who were paid were the Khayelitsha Children’s Choir.
Any money that is made from the music video will also be used to give back to the Earth, to Save Soil.
The 13-year-old has created a fund-raiser to plant 10 000 trees. They are R10 a tree in a project that ensures farmers plant the trees and nurture them for the crops they yield.
Speaking about the release of his music video, Quinley says he is thrilled to have released a music video that sends out such an important message.
“It feels really good I guess. What 13-year-old guy doesn’t want their song to be released to the world.”
He is responsible for the composition in the music video, while his mom Casey has written the lyrics to the song.
“Our home is often filled with beautiful piano melodies that Quin has a passion for composing,” said Casey.
“As a volunteer for the Save Soil movement under the Conscious Planet initiative, I heard they were looking for an anthemic piece and I asked Quin if he would like to see if we could create something to support the outreach.”
“He jumped at the chance and the lyrics came very easily given that the subject matter is so close to our hearts. With just 60 years left of producible soil across the world, we are watching soil extinction take place before our eyes.
“It is fairly simple to solve but if we don’t shift the way we handle soil now it takes 150 years to rejuvenate and that will be too late. It is time for people to come together and help our Earth heal.”
Quinley says he didn’t think twice when he was approached by his mom to work on the song.
“At first it was just a piece of music that I didn’t have an idea for, but when my mom told me about this Save Our Soil movement, I knew it was the right piece,” he said.
“I tweaked it a bit and then my mom wrote the lyrics. It’s all about humanity coming together to help heal the world and save our soil. I really want to help save the planet and using my music to send out a message is the best way I can do that right now.”
He says he hopes that the song gets people thinking about the environment and how they can make a difference.
“I hope to get people really thinking about how they can make a difference. I also started a tree-planting fund and hope that when people watch the video on YouTube or go to my Instagram account @quinleywild they will feel like donating to plant some trees.”
Asked what it was like working with his mom on the music video, Quinley said: “Quite frankly, terrible. No, I am really just joking. It was a really good experience, I learnt a lot and I love my mom a lot.”
He says he also enjoyed working closely with some of SA’s biggest entertainers for the SOS music video.
“The One Who Sings was so kind and she is so talented it was really exciting. Robin Hogarth was very patient and cool and Theo Crous helped a lot and really seemed to believe in me.”
His mom Casey, said she was incredibly proud of her son, and what the two were able to create.
“I am proud of the person he is, the fact that he creates such exquisite music is glorious, and I truly believe that sort of gift should be used and shared to uplift others, but I would be proud of him anyway.”
“His love of nature, kindness to all creatures and sense of responsibility towards the planet makes me burst with joy.”
Speaking about the process of creating the music video in a short space of time, Casey admits it was a huge challenge.
“If I am honest every step of the way was a challenge. We knew there was a massive all-night musical and cultural festival called Mahashivratri that was the launch of Save Soil movement. The live festival has a reach online and over 20 television stations that has more than 120 million potential viewers.
“We had just three-and-a-half weeks to compose, record, arrange and create a music video for the song where everyone including studios would be doing the project pro bono.
“Most said it was impossible. When you are creating something that has such a powerful message but have never produced a song before, have an insanely tight timeline have no budget whatsoever and rely entirely on the outpouring of generosity from those who have the expertise (but are super busy), it is no small undertaking.”
She also gives insight into how they managed to rope in some of the biggest names in music to feature in the music video.
“It was quite literally, a lot of begging, lol and finding amazing humans with huge hearts! Within a day of writing the song, we had the assistance of an amazing singer Morgan Visser (18), who is a teenage sensation and happens to live in my complex, who came over and recorded the demo in my dining room with a friend of hers with the help of another friend who put me in contact with a young lady called Leah Clarke (22) who hurriedly made do with a microphone, a piano and a laptop.
“The recording was definitely not ideal with Quin having to play over and over but the track was down and through some contacts managed to send it through to The One Who Sings (Ex-lead singer of Freshlyground). She fell in love with the track and after a few small lyric changes under her suggestion, we set out to find recording studios. Another friend introduced me to two-time Grammy award winner Robin Hogarth and he happened to be flying to Cape Town and jumped aboard to assist with the arrangement and choir recording.
Theo Crous (music producer and Springbok Nude Girls guitarist) recorded the lead vocal with The One Who Sings and Morgan and Leah sang back up vocals, she said.
“We knew a choir was essential and wanted to keep the song in the hands of children as much as possible, so The Khayelitsha Children’s Choir came to Milestone Studios and recorded into the night. They were the only paid element on the track as they are at risk youth.
“I knew the music video needed someone really special to direct it. Someone with a feminine touch and creative edge to make something out of literally nothing.”
“Amanda Evans, an international director I have admired for some time agreed to shoot it pro bono and we had alumni from Afda Film school jump in eager to help shoot, while Falk Eggert, a renowned cinematographer came in with a fabulous Phantom camera for all the desert slow motion shots.
“In total five studios were involved and the team created a world-class product worthy of 120 million viewers.”
To view the SOS music video , visit : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LSpxylsPOU
To support Quinley’s campaign visit: https://www.ishaoutreach.org/en/cauvery-calling/campaigns/sos-save-soil- quinley-wild?action=1