THE FILM
Music educators and researchers estimate that 75% or more of high school music students will quit their musical studies after high school. Many are pulled into paths toward economic growth and are unaware of the many musical opportunities in college and beyond. Carry the Tune is a documentary that shares the stories of people who have discovered these opportunities and how music provides a vital sense of balance in their lives.
Orchestra teacher Paul Trapkus explores the Colorado Front Range with students Elizabeth Potter and Kelvin DuVal, meeting countless avocational musicians who see music not as competing with their other interests but as enhancing them. Instrumentalists and vocalists of all ages and abilities use classical, jazz, bluegrass, rock, and other styles as vehicles for lifelong learning and fulfillment without neglecting their many college and career commitments. At its heart, Carry the Tune highlights a challenge we all face - the endeavor to balance our work with our passions.
THE PRODUCTION STORY
Orchestra teacher Paul Trapkus explores the Colorado Front Range with students Elizabeth Potter and Kelvin DuVal, meeting countless avocational musicians who see music not as competing with their other interests but as enhancing them. Instrumentalists and vocalists of all ages and abilities use classical, jazz, bluegrass, rock, and other styles as vehicles for lifelong learning and fulfillment without neglecting their many college and career commitments. At its heart, Carry the Tune highlights a challenge we all face - the endeavor to balance our work with our passions.
THE PRODUCTION STORY
Carry the Tune was directed by two people with a passion for music and filmmaking - Paul Trapkus, the orchestra teacher at Silver Creek High School in Longmont, Colorado, and Elizabeth Potter, a student in that orchestra. Inspired by the large number of students around the country who quit music after high school, Paul wanted to make a documentary as a way to simply spread the word about why and how people continue making music. He shared the idea with Elizabeth, and they soon enlisted the help of Kelvin DuVal, another Silver Creek student, for cinematography. A Kickstarter campaign helped significantly to raise funds for the film and spread the word.
Throughout the filming, they found more people than could fit into one film who talked about the importance of music in their lives or the regret of not continuing it, and these stories fueled the motivation to complete such a large project. After collecting about 150 hours of footage and editing for a few months, they completed a documentary that they hope will give students, teachers, and adults a different perspective on the study of music. To hear more about the filmmaking journey, check out the commentary on the DVD.
Throughout the filming, they found more people than could fit into one film who talked about the importance of music in their lives or the regret of not continuing it, and these stories fueled the motivation to complete such a large project. After collecting about 150 hours of footage and editing for a few months, they completed a documentary that they hope will give students, teachers, and adults a different perspective on the study of music. To hear more about the filmmaking journey, check out the commentary on the DVD.