2019, CINCINNATI, OH, UNITED STATES
To help raise awareness about the sewage runoff problem facing their community, Aria Schottelkotte decided to write and record a song. After heavy rains, Aria noticed the raw sewage runoff that was going into the local watershed. She noticed that water quality thus decreases dramatically, resulting in parts of the river being closed where there is usually swimming and recreation. Knowing that recreation is one of the best ways for people to get involved with and care about their watershed, when it is prevented from happening, the problem can only get worse.
Aria wrote the song using the instruments she plays, then went to a local recording studio and hired musicians to help fine tune the sound. Once the track was professionally mixed, she uploaded it to Spotify and iTunes so that people could listen to it both within her community and all over the world. With lyrics like “it’s all up to you”, Aria set out to create a change in the Ohio River watershed as well as wherever else her song may be heard.