GoodHeart | New Forest school community’s ‘Rebuild Jamaica’ track uplifts spirits

When Hurricane Melissa tore through communities in western Jamaica last year, the damage went far beyond collapsed roofs. For the New Forest school community, the aftermath inspired a different kind of response. Rather than remain silent, teachers, students, parents, and staff came together to create Rebuild Jamaica, an original song born from grief, hope, and a shared determination to uplift those hardest hit.

Written and led by music teacher Dalton Wiseman, Rebuild Jamaica brought together voices from across the high and primary schools to inspire unity and send a supportive message to those affected by Melissa.

For fifth-form student Chelsie Mitchell, being part of the song felt different from previous music projects. The emotional weight became clear when she watched the finished music video. The project was especially meaningful for her, as her grandmother, a cook at Holland Bamboo Primary School, passed away from other complications around the time Melissa affected Black River.

“It just made me emotional,” she said, recalling how hard it was to manage those feelings while rehearsing with classmates. Mitchell also credits her father, Peter ‘Silky Smooth’ Mitchell, with helping her through some of the hardest moments during recording. “He was the one that gave me confidence and he motivate[d] me to sing my notes properly,” she said. “If he wasn’t there, I would have cried.”

Mitchell told GoodHeart she wants others affected by Melissa, or who have lost a loved one, to never give up and keep on trying.

Wiseman, a music teacher, producer, composer, and songwriter, said the idea for the song came after seeing news coverage of the damage post-Melissa. “Even though I wasn’t impacted physically, it was very emotional for me,” he added.

Wiseman began writing in high school and spent nearly two decades composing for choirs, schools, churches, and Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) competitions. He described Rebuild Jamaica as his first original song released on a national platform. With no financial resources or material aid to offer those affected by Melissa, he turned to the one thing he could give: his talent.

“I didn’t have any money. I didn’t have any luxury item to give away,” he said. “So, I felt the need to use my musical ability through song to reach out and inspire the lives of those who were affected severely,” he explained.

Intent on involving the broader school community, Wiseman brought together teachers, parents, and students who shared the same goal.

The best voices

In addition to Mitchell, fifth-formers Nickoloyd Simpson, Thalia Gowe, and Tiana Shields were featured on the track, selected based on years of experience working with Wiseman through music competitions such as the JCDC. “These are students I’ve [included] over the years, so it was easy to pick the best voices for radio and TV,” he explained.

Rehearsals took place at the school before the group went to Chiavi Records studio last November. Wiseman carefully prepared harmonies, solo sections, and vocal balance in advance to use studio time efficiently. While the technical process was demanding, the emotional moments stayed with him most. “They were even crying,” he said. “When they watched the video, they were saying, ‘Sir, this is very touching’.”

Beyond the music, Rebuild Jamaica became a source of pride and healing within the school community. Wiseman said the song’s message was never meant to focus solely on rebuilding physical structures, but on restoring unity and collective responsibility. “This is not about [orange] or green,” he said. “This is about unity and coming together under one umbrella.”

Since its release, the song has elicited emotional responses from students, teachers, and members of the wider community.

For Wiseman, the project reinforced the power of music as action. “Anybody can write a song,” he said. “But action speaks louder than words.”

Post-release, that action extended into areas affected by Melissa, with members of the school community delivering care packages in the Black River area in late December.

The track is available for streaming on YouTube.

ruth-ann.briscoe@gleanerjm.com