Show the film!

Yes, starting in June 2023, The Drive to Sing is available for streaming. See our home page for more information.

Streaming a film at home is convenient. But watching it in person with a group is more meaningful than watching it alone. The film has sparked many valuable discussions about resilience, community, and healing. Let's show it in person, in as many places as we can.

Thank you for your interest! We want to help show this uplifting film in as many places as possible.

This page helps you select a venue in your area and ask them to show it. Public libraries are the easiest to work with. Churches, senior centers, and schools are good choices too, with a bit more effort.

If you have any questions or suggestions, our email is info@thedrivetosing.com.

Just call your local public library and say something like this:

"I heard about a new documentary called The Drive to Sing. It's about choirs finding ways to sing safely during the pandemic, and my choir friends would like to watch it together. Could the library show it sometime?"

They may also want to know

• It's 75 minutes long.

• Which days of the week would work for your chorus, for example: "Please not on a Monday or Wednesday, because that's when we rehearse."

• The filmmaker's email is info@thedrivetosing.com.

• Just Google for "The Drive to Sing" to learn more.

Often, libraries know how to take it from there.

Sometimes they will ask you to fill out a big request form. We can fill it out if you like. Just email us at info@thedrivetosing.com, tell us which library it is, and say why you want to see the film in your community.

You can find a library's website with a Google search. Almost all of them have a "Contact Us" section that provides an email address or comment form. You can use this example text if you like. If you're sending an email, you can CC info@thedrivetosing.com so that we can help with any followup questions.

=================== example text

Subject: Could the library show The Drive to Sing documentary?

I heard about a new award-winning documentary called The Drive to Sing. It's about choirs finding ways to sing safely during the pandemic, and my choir friends would like to watch it together. We can't do <days of the week> because that's when we rehearse. Could the library show it sometime?

It is 75 minutes long and family friendly. This web page tells how to host a screening. https://www.thedrivetosing.com/show-the-film  The filmmaker's email is info@thedrivetosing.com. 

Thanks!

<your name>

===================

That's it!  Libraries know how to take it from there.  You could always try a 2nd or 3rd library, in case the first is too busy.

So far, the best venues for The Drive to Sing are public libraries, churches, senior centers, and schools.  

Of these, the simplest to contact is... libraries!

Public libraries are great venues for a number of reasons:

• They frequently show films to the community for free admission.

• They have an event calendar and publicize events to their community.

• We've found librarians to be very friendly, and easy to reach during business hours. So it can be as simple as "just ask" and they can do the rest.

Churches and schools can be great venues too, but it takes more time and effort to organize an event. It works best if you have a connection to the music director or music department already. See below for more details.

Senior centers or assisted living centers can be good venues too. Just call them and ask for the activity director, and suggest it. Sometimes they will make the event open to the public, and other times they may prefer to have it only for residents.

Movie theaters are usually too expensive.

If you have suggestions, just email us at info@thedrivetosing.com.

A church or school is a natural place to show a film that's all about choirs! Some choirs enjoy watching the documentary together as a team-building event.

Most churches have space available for rent and equipment to show a film, but someone needs to "organize" the event (perhaps you). Contact the church office to find an available day/time. You may need to sign a rental agreement and pay a rental fee, unless a congregation or staff member is organizing it. Maybe you can interest the music director...but they may not have time to take on a new project. On the day of the screening, the organizer needs to bring a laptop and plug it into the A/V system.

Setting up an event at a school is similar. Ask someone in the music department if they can show the film as part of a film or performance series. If a teacher/professor wants it to happen, the arrangements are a lot easier. Or you can contact the main office and ask how to rent a space and show a film. Many different groups share the school facilities, so there will likely be an application/approval process and rental fee for the space.

Please keep in mind that public screenings of The Drive to Sing must be FREE admission. You may ask for donations.

Once you have a venue in mind, the "Host a screening" section below has more details.

Everyone thinks of films showing in a movie theater. They have high quality projectors and sound system, comfy seats and popcorn. 

But here's the thing.  The Drive to Sing's music license agreements do not allow us to charge admission. 

Movie theaters in large cities cost between $300 and $3000 to rent, and we(you) can't sell tickets to cover the cost. For a special occasion, maybe someone could write a grant to pay for the theater rental, or find a theater that is very inexpensive? But usually, showing the documentary in a regular theater does not make financial sense.

This is why we're recommending libraries, churches, and schools (above).

Sure. Just email us, and we'll send you a temporary link.

Kathryn taught elementary music and chorus for many years, and she believes the film will be motivational for choir students (and their teachers). It shows the importance of live music and community, and shows what lengths people were willing to go to during the pandemic, in order to make harmony again.

To: info@thedrivetosing.com
Subject: show The Drive to Sing in my classroom

<what you teach and where>

Absolutely! We would love to show "The Drive to Sing" at more music festivals and conventions.

If you know of one, please introduce us to the appropriate people, or let us know how/when to apply.

Just email us at info@thedrivetosing.com.

• Please fill out this form online: Show "The Drive to Sing" at your venue. If you have any questions, please write to us at info@thedrivetosing.com. 

• We will respond by email and answer any questions

• We agree on a license fee to show the film in public (also knows as Public Performance Rights)

• We send you a link or a copy of the film

• You show the film at the venue

• a laptop computer, not more than 5 years old

• a TV or projector that connects to the computer

• speakers that are loud enough for the audience to hear clearly

• We'll send you a link to download the film (a big MP4 file) or stream it

Our standard license fee is $200 to show the film in public.

If this doesn't fit your budget, let's talk. We want to make it accessible.

We'll send an invoice and our W-9 form on request.

• This is your choice. Since screenings are free admission, tickets are not needed.

• If you like, we can set up a registration web page. This tells you how many people to expect, and you can close registration if it fills up.

• If you like, you can set up your own registration system.

• Or you can decide that it is not needed.

Yes, see our Media Kit page for suggested text and graphics that you can use.

You can publicize the event among people and groups that you know. Facebook events make it easy for people to share the details with their friends. Inviting local chorus organizations and churches works well, especially if you start several weeks in advance.

Also if you like, once we know the date/time/location of your screening, we can add it to our website and run some Facebook ads in your area to reach a wider audience.

• Yes!  Here is the Discussion Guide for The Drive to Sing.

• If you have suggestions for improvement, please let us know.

• You are very welcome to ask if the filmmakers/cast members can attend, in person or virtually.  It depends on the day and location, of course, and there is an additional charge.

• We can also put you in touch with other people who were involved in the film or the car choir project in your area.