As school-aged kids, Luke Shepperd, Ryan Williams, Rich Macfarlane and John Byskal all had varying experiences with bullying. Now, the guys make up the pop-rock group known as Seventh Rain and travel across North America spreading an anti-bullying message in schools, along with sharing their love of music.
About five years ago, the guys realized their main audience was minors and felt they “made a much bigger impact” by visiting schools, says Shepperd. To bring value to their shows, the guys speak about their experiences growing up. The band is an affiliate of bullying.org, a Canadian website dedicated to preventing bullying through education and awareness.
“Schools really, really like this message,” says Shepperd, prior to a show and talk held at Mallaig School on March 16. “Schools are what we like to do.”
Shepperd says he was bullied when he was in elementary school and shared his story with students on Friday. He remembers how it felt and knows the importance that one person can have on changing a bad situation. When someone stepped in to help, that “gave me hope,” he says.
The bullying began when Shepperd had to move to a new community where he didn’t have any friends. When he was being bullied at school, “every day it seemed like it was worse than the day before.” A whole year went by and Shepperd says he “wasn’t the same happy kid anymore.”
He was only in Grade 3 when he told him mom he wanted to die.
“Nobody should have to feel that way,” says Shepperd.
A few weeks into a new school year, something changed. One day when he was being pushed around by some bullies, another student stepped in to help.
“That’s all it took was one guy stepping in.”
Byskal also shared his experience with bullying on Friday.
“It’s more obvious now where bullying is happening,” says Byskal, who admitted to being a bully himself at times. He says he is not sure why he said things to hurt people, but now sees how rude he was and realizes the negative impact his words can have.
“Respect goes a long way,” says Byskal, adding, “You don’t have to be best friends with everybody . . . but be respectful.”
Macfarlane too had a run-in with bullies growing up. He was once beat up badly by a group of older kids. It was a random act of violence that even sent him to the hospital. Although he became shy after the incident, he decided to turn to music and turned his situation into something positive.
“There’s no reason to pick on other people,” says Macfarlane.
Williams had a different story to share with students. When in school, he found himself hanging out with the bullies, and over time realized it’s also wrong to be a bystander and do nothing about bullying.
“I felt so uncomfortable . . . I didn’t want to be part of (the bullying).” So, Williams started picking his friends based on “who they were as a person” and ended up making some great life-long friends who share similar views on bullying, such as the other members of Seventh Rain.
The band encouraged students to seek help if they are being bullied.
“Bullying is serious,” says Shepperd. “The wounds heal, but I still carry those scars.”
Seventh Rain is based out of Calgary. They have recorded in some of Canada’s best recording studios and toured with other popular pop-rock bands, such as Hedley and Marianas Trench. They are promoting their latest recording right now, which will be released this spring.
After speaking to students about bullying the bland took to the stage and performed for students.
