The Boston-area premiere of "The Drive to Sing" at the Lonely Seal Film Festival was quite an experience, with live music and an enthusiastic audience of around 70 people. At the end of the festival, we received the Audience Award!
The Lonely Seal Film Festival shows a wide variety of new films in the Regent Theater in Arlington, MA. Because this film is all about making music together, we asked the festival director, Hammad Zaidi, if we could organize a live performance before the screening. He was excited and worked with theater staff to make it happen.
Ipswich River Community Chorus performed "Can we sing the darkness to light?" by Kyle Pederson, then Kathryn led an audience singalong of Amazing Grace.
Many local individuals and groups were part of this project. When you watch a new film with people who were in it, you hear little ripples of excitement and some clapping whenever someone they recognize appears on screen.
After the film was a Q&A session with Bryce Denney (director), Kathryn Denney (producer), and Russ Gannon (narrator).
The day after the premiere, October 9, an interview with Bryce and Kathryn aired on WGBH radio on "Under the Radio with Callie Crossley." It's a 25-minute conversation that introduces audiences to the film and how/why we made it.
Please listen at WGBH Under the Radio show on "The Drive to Sing". When you get there, just click the "Listen" button.