Nashville-based film production company, Cerulean, is proud to announce the release of a new documentary, Room To Play, a 56-minute film that explores the special bond between people and music. Following the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra from 2022-2023 as they approach their 20th season together, filmmakers Joe Gomez and Vanita Joines investigate how these musicians carry a lifelong passion for music, whether they've played it every day since they first started as a child, picked it up as an adult, or took a thirty-year break in between.
“I just wish that for a minute you could sit in my chair and know what it’s like to hear the sound all around you.”
-Tibby Christenberry, Flute
Room To Play, shown entirely in a crisp black and white format, shows how a group with such talent and purpose came together. Going behind the scenes to find out what it takes to keep a nonprofit orchestra going for 20 years, the musicians and staff share stories of how the NPO has been a catalyst for so many friendships, families, and new fans of symphonic music.
“I like how I can express myself because I’m not really that good with words, so when I play the music I can actually just express myself as pure emotion, nothing else. I don’t have to worry about writing a speech, basically. If you could put everything into words, music wouldn’t be a thing.”
- Colin Xie, 2023 concerto competition winner
Watch the teaser:
Note From The Director:
My name is Joe Gomez and I’m a filmmaker focusing mainly on documentary-based work. Empathy is at the center of every interaction, shoot and product that I make. A necessary warmth is key to respectfully see and celebrate the subject, but also in guiding the viewer along for the time they’ve given to watch.
I’ve traveled the world making documentaries and telling the stories of people while taking great care in the portrayal of them and the things they value.
Over the last decade, I’ve found great joy in the work of capturing the magic between a person and their craft. Many of my projects have been about local Nashvillians. From our local chefs, brewers, craftsmen, and fellow artists, I’ve had the opportunity to witness and document many of the people who have made this city and state great. My most recent series, “Labor of Love” explores the elusive question: How do you know when you’re done?
It was that specific desire that brought me to approaching the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra to make a documentary. Little did I know how much the organization and I shared, in our ideals regarding diversity, inclusion, and justice. They are passionate about both the musicians and the audience, steward diversity on both ends, and have been doing this for nearly 20 years. The overlap of those core values between the Philharmonic and myself cemented their story as necessary to be documented and shared.
As a non-profit 501 (c)(3), the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra relies on the support and generosity of the community to continue its mission creating opportunities for musicians to bring symphonic music across Nashville while fostering a love for the arts through performance and community outreach.
The lifelong relationships made because of it, the thousands of hours of music rehearsed and performed, and the mission of inclusion through each facet are a testament to the wonderful people that have made up the NPO for the last 20 years and an important part of Nashville history that deserves record and celebration.
Thank You:
The inclusivity that the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra is dedicated to on all sides of the music are exactly the reasons we first got into filmmaking; to work with a community to give opportunity to perform their craft and to make that art accessible to as many people as possible.
For us, music in any form has always been a huge part of our lives. It’s how we connected with our parents, found friends and community, and eventually each other. Nothing can compare to the experience of live music, especially live symphonic music. The fact that the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra so generously gives their time and talent to come together to continue the collaborative tradition of classical music and gives it so freely deserves to be celebrated widely.