In September 2009, Barry Silverman and Mary Hayes from sister companies Disus, Inc and Engage Learn presented a plan to produce a full length Documentary of the We Are One Jazz Project.
To date, hundreds of hours of footage including children's choir rehearsals, the entire January 28 2010 Koerner Hall concert, and extensive interviews in Toronto and New York City have been beautifully captured. There are 3 areas that the Documentary focuses on:
1. Jazz Legend Barry Harris: the Man and his Music
2. The Apprenticeship Model as a way of preserving and passing on knowledge. Including thoughts by director Howard Rees on his own apprenticeship with Dr. Harris beginning in 1978.
3. The We Are One Jazz Project, now entering it's 3rd year of bringing together Master Jazz Musicians and 'at-risk' children in the GTA.
Some of our plans for the Documentary include making it available for TVO/PBS broadcast; Documentary Film Festival and private fundraising screenings; and as an educational tool, packaged with the concert music and marketed to high school and college Jazz music programs worldwide.
Following is an open letter from Disus CEO Barry Silverman sharing his reasons for getting behind our project.
“I just wanted to thank you and Barry for all the time you gave us while we were in New York for Barry’s birthday that otherwise would have been busy with family and friends.
If the class that I attended was even remotely typical, I now understand what made you come to New York for 6 months and stay for seven years. I did not think it would be possible to out-do the Childrens’ Choir Rehearsal, but Barry’s weekly class did it for me.
Never in my life have I seen such an inspiring and unselfish teacher! He also happens to be a genius and significant contributor to jazz. The warmth, respect, and energy from Barry was reciprocated by the students. It was like attending a happy gathering of a large family. I spent a lot of time talking to everyone about why they came, and what it meant to them.
Barry has the capacity to inspire the students to heights they would never believe they could achieve. Everyone told me that those classes were a gift that they would never forget.
Just being there explained to me why:
You would devote months of time to teaching 400 kids every year about jazz.
Brad and Sarah, a couple from Washington DC, would commute for 6 hours EVERY WEEK for 8 months to attend the classes. Brad said that he had a master’s degree in music, but learned almost everything he knows from Barry.
Laurie, a student of only 1 ½ years would write a song “Jewel in its Setting” for Barry and perform it on his birthday in front of a group of extremely skilled musicians
Several of your students are seriously contemplating commuting to New York to attend the classes
I pray that the Gods of Video will be with us, and that our footage will capture all this emotion. I have certainly been present where some of the material started shining out. It is a heavy responsibility for us to document something that is so important to all of you in a way that captures the magic that is so clearly there.”
Thank you again,
Barry Silverman - Disus Inc. - Toronto
