JOHN LENNON EDUCATIONAL TOUR BUS ROLLS UP TO HOLLYWOOD SCHOOL

Imagine every student, learning how to play, when John Lennon's Educational Tour Bus, rolls up on a school day.

The bus arrived at Mary M. Bethune Elementary School of the Arts in Hollywood about 9:30 a.m. Friday and excited students and teachers formed a human peace sign on the campus field.

"I've been at Bethune for 17 years, I started my teaching career here and this is one of the best experiences," said fourth-grade teacher Briseida Maycumber. "I actually canceled a vacation to come here."

This is the 19th year the big blue bus has traveled across the U.S. and Canada to emphasize the importance of the arts and digital media education by giving students hands-on experience with the latest audio and video recording technologies.

450 students at St. Brendan Catholic Elementary School in Ormond, Fl. creates a giant peace sign with The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. The traveling recording studio goes to various schools and works with students on an audio and video project. 

"I think they get to see some of the jobs and careers they would be able to do in the future when they commit to their education," said kindergarten teacher Giovanni Bonelli.

Students learn about the technical details of the mobile studio, production tips for recording at home or school, and about musical artists including will.i.am, John Legend and Moby who have recorded on the bus.

"It was amazing," Maycumber said. "They were telling the kids about some famous people like Justin Bieber who sat down in the same place where they were sitting and the kids were like, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe it.'"

Bethune Elementary was selected as a Turnaround Arts School and is among a limited number of schools in the nation, including Walker and Lake Forest elementary schools in Broward, that were awarded this partnership by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.

The school also received $2,500 worth of equipment including a Yamaha keyboard, cables, headphones, and an Epiphone Casino guitar like the one John Lennon played with the Beatles and in the movie Let It Be.

The Lennon Bus concept began as an offshoot of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. It makes about 250 stops a year providing free tours and workshops at schools, retailers, and festivals. It also goes on tours with headlining artists, and appears at major industry conferences. Lennon Bus Europe began its tour in Liverpool, in 2013.