Music carries a message to youths
Coleman, P.L.
Development Communication Report 1986(53): 1-3
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0192-1312 PMID: 12314302 Document Number: 344391
The most widely played song in Mexico in March 1986 is a special record designed to encourage young people to be sexually responsible and not to bring into the world children they cannot care for. "It's OK to say 'no,'" is the message of a unique new family planning and health communication project designed to reach young people in 11 Spanish speaking countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. What makes this ambitious regional project so unique is not just the message or the remarkable success of the 1st song but the combination of materials that were produced, the way they were produced, and how they are now being used throughout the region. The Population Communication Services project in the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health (JHU/PCS) has been working in Latin America and elsewhere for 4 years to support innovative family planning communication projects. It became evident that 1 key group was not being reached, i.e., young people aged 13-18 who comprise approximately 30% of the total population in Latin America. The fertility and sexual behavior of young people have a significant impact on their own lives, their community, their country, and the region. Early pregnancy is a major health and social problem throughout the region and the world. To address this problem, the JHU/PCS decided to develop a regional Latin American project to make young people more sharply aware of the personal advantages to them of responsible parenthood. JHU/PCS put together a financial, marketing, and institutional package. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) provided the finances. Analysis showed that the common denominator for young people throughout the region is music. The decision was made to produce 2 songs, each with a music video, pressed on each side of 45 rpm single records and enclosed in a full-size, full-color, 2-sided record jacket which folds out into a poster. The next step was to refine the general message of sexual responsibility to a specific message, one that young people would listen to and that would not offend others. Once the artists and the messages had been identified, a contest was held for the music and lyrics, with more than 20 professional composers participating. An underlying concern built into the design of this project was that the materials had to appeal to young people as popular songs, not as educational materials. The marketing of what became known as the "Tatiana & Johnny Project" included sending: copies of the record to 3020 radio stations; copies of the record and music videos to 250 television stations; press kits to 350 newspapers, magazines, and journals; and brochures about the project to 3500 media representatives throughout the region. Initial reaction to the project has been overwhelmingly positive. Lessons learned from the project are identified.