VIDEO: Woodbridge teacher, 'Idol' star films texting song

When the Prince William County Schools’ media production department approached Travis Tucker to write a song about the dangers of texting while driving, the singer knew it would be a challenge, but a worthwhile one.

Tucker, who during the day is a math teacher at Freedom High School in Woodbridge, penned the song last year and, combined with the PWCS Office Media Production Services, shot a music video this summer, premiering it during Wednesday night’s school board meeting.

“As a musician, it was fun to actually write a song that had some substance,” said Tucker, who was one of the final 16 contestants in the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. “I write songs for my girlfriend and I write ditties here and there, but nothing that could potentially save a life like this one.”

The video opens with Tucker at a piano, singing the chorus and title, “It Can Wait.” Soon, sample text-message conversations appear at the bottom of the screen.

Click here to see the video.

Next, the two groups of teens sending those messages are seen getting into cars.

By the end of the song and video, tragedy has struck and the surviving teens learn the lesson the hard way.

“I think the video came out really well,” Tucker said. “It’s not a Hype Williams-MTV production, but I think it gets the job done.

Fred Milbert, driver education coordinator for PWCS, could even be heard whistling Tucker’s tune in the Kelly Leadership Building’s foyer after its premiere.

“It’s catchy,” Milbert said.

“I’ve already had some students who have seen it and they’re giving me props on it,” Tucker said. “We hope that it makes a difference.”

The video not only stars Tucker but a Hylton High School student and several collegiate acting students, as well as several Prince William emergency responders.

The piece is part of the state-wide Partners for Safe Teen Driving program aimed to better prepare parents and young drivers for their new responsibilities.

In addition to the song and accompanying video — which Ben Swecker, supervisor of Media Production Services for PWCS, hopes will spread via social networking like Facebook and YouTube — 40 billboards emphasizing teen driving safety are planned throughout the state.

In fact, Superintendent Steven L. Walts said the county’s program will be the model for the rest of Virginia.

Tucker’s involvement came after meeting with members of the media production office a year ago and they collaborated on a couple driver safety videos on which Tucker provided a voice-over, including one on proper hand placement on the steering wheel.

“It started when [Tucker] hosted our award ceremony,” Swecker said. “We saw he had a lot of ability to be a communicator.”

“They said they really wanted to do a music video to discourage people from texting [while] driving. So they asked me to write a song,” Tucker said. “We had the song and wrote a simple script that I think got the point across and it was a great experience for me.”

A 2001 Osbourn Park grad himself, Tucker is entering his sixth year at Freedom, teaching Algebra I and II, mostly to English as a Second Language students.

Tucker returned to the county after appearing on American Idol, finishing as one of the final eight men in the competition.

“American Idol was probably the most defining thing in my career,” he said. “That was in 2005 and I look back now and it feels like ages ago. ... I had a great time on the show. For the most part, it was almost another lifetime.”

Tucker is interested in more video collaborations with the school system, too.

“As we were shooting this one, the guys asked if I’d want to do a video on proper mirror placement. I’m not sure when that is coming out.

“But this is a great alliance. We obviously work well together and have a great time doing it, and it gives me another outlet to get my creative rocks off. It’s a good symbiotic relationship.”

And it seems there will be more opportunities to work together.

“We have a grant from the Department of Motor Vehicles so we’re going to be producing four or five more [videos],” Swecker said. “We were just talking about that over-correcting is a big problem. And the forces of a car that you can’t control. I’ve got a list of them.”

Swecker said the music video and it’s message may focus on teens texting, but it’s not only applicable to the newly licensed or permitted.

“If I had gotten a chance to talk [during the meeting],” he said, “I would have told them that it goes for all the adults, too. Everyone does this.”

Staff writer Joe Conroy can be reached at 703-530-3912.