The power of music and arts education is extraordinary, and this unique program for 10th grade students at Philadelphia's Hill-Freedman World Academy allows students to unlock creativity, and create music to their heart's desire.
Directed by Amy Schatz and executive produced by Mike Jackson and John Legend, the HBO Original documentary Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School follows this 10th grade class working with local musicians, and coming together to create an album of powerful original songs that capture both the challenging times they’re living in and the joy that music brings.
"It's so inspiring to see the power of music with these young people. To see it be based here in Philadelphia, to see it as a film that really advocates for the importance of arts and music in young peoples education, these are all things that I personally champion," says Legend.
"The interesting thing about this class is that it's required for all the students, even if they don't consider themselves musicians, even if they don't think of themselves as someone who's going to go on and make music in the future. But, it shows that anybody can be creative. Anybody has a story to tell, and even if you may not be able to carry a tune, you could have a story to tell that could influence your lyrics and help you express yourself, and everybody has something within them."
Listen now as Amy Schatz, Mike Jackson, and John Legend join Jenn Ryan of B101 Philly to discuss why they signed up for this project, the importance of art education, and the power of music in Philadelphia.
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