Right On Tracks: Music videos that encourage kindness, inclusion, and empathy

“A series of songs to inspire a generation of good,” Right On Tracks are four message-driven music videos for kids that hearken back to the days of the 1970s-era SchoolHouse Rock series. The project, powered by Cheerios and helmed by creative agency 72andSunny, aims to encourage conversations about kindness, inclusion, and empathy.

The video topics: Growing self-confidence, speaking out against bullying, making new friends, all below, and celebrating all kinds of families, above.

The Right On Tracks songs were created by Walter Martin of The Walkmen. Director Johnny Kelly of Nexus Studios teamed up with art collective Nous Vous and Andy Gent, head of the puppets department for Isle of Dogs, to make the colorful wooden puppets come to life.

Watch more of the music videos below, including Just Be You: “For all the people figuring out who they want to be, the answer isn’t just under your nose, it’s attached to it, it’s you! Be proud of who you are. Because you are you and no one else is you.”

Step Up: “The next time you see a mean bully, sing this song, either in your head or out loud if you’re cool with your singing voice. And don’t forget to step up!”

And Sit with Someone New: “When you sit with someone new, you could brighten someone’s day or even make a lifelong friend. You never know what the possibilities may be from sitting with someone new. Maybe you will travel the world together, give each other cool nicknames or tell funny secrets to each other in a made-up language that only you know.”

Plus, watch the team’s making-of video:

Follow this with SchoolHouse rock videos and Andys Biddle and Gent on animating for Isle of Dogs.

Plus, videos about empathy, kindness, how to forgive, the uses of envy, the importance of staring out the window, and how to change anxiety into excitement.