New Brunswick Youth Orchestra responds to stereotypical car commercial
A New Brunswick Youth Orchestra video created in response to a car commercial perpetuating a ‘tired old stereotype’ about young musicians, has now racked up thousands of views online.
The commercial for 'Infiniti' shows an orchestra of young people playing instruments poorly, so poorly that the woman in the ad, inside of a vehicle in the centre of it, rolls up the window and closes the sun roof to tune them out.
"I saw the humour in it, you know, I understand Nissan and Infiniti, it was tongue-in-cheek," says NYBO CEO, Ken McLeod. "But nevertheless it still kind of struck a negative chord with me.”
In the video, McLeod says that 'they should have called us' as he opens the door to the Imperial Theatre and the sound of the same song - played masterfully - gets louder.
"It was a fun approach," says conductor Tony Delgado. "And also, because we don’t have anything against Nissan or Infiniti, it’s not about that – it’s more about us telling our story."
That story and its message has resonated with many others – the video has been posted on the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra’s YouTube channel and has already racked up over 50,000 views.
As well, MacLeod says they’ve been contacted by people from all over.
"We’ve heard from youth music programs, we’ve heard from professional orchestras and musicians, we’ve had responses from the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in the Mediterranean, and also a Mexican professional orchestra," says MacLeod.
"It is just all over the map."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday after a political event in an attempted assassination that shocked the small country and reverberated across Europe.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge slammed into a bridge pillar in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a smaller and separate island that is home to a university, officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION If you think you can’t focus for long, you’re right: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.