- Funding for this program has been provided by.

(upbeat music) Hi everyone, I'm Olivia.

And welcome back to another season of the Young Creators Studio, a space to showcase some of the best youth created films in our area.

This season, we're at the beautiful Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, New Jersey.

Students all across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey have been hard at work in both the classrooms and on the road creating films just for you.

So stick around and enjoy.

(gentle music) - [Ryannah] I believe there is a really big difference between a good musician and a great musician.

♪ Been listening to you talk about the eyes of somebody else ♪ - [Ezekiel] In the real world at universities even right here in Philly, they have student record labels.

Why wouldn't a high school?

- I'm gonna hit power in 3, 2, 1.

It's working.

(upbeat music) - Is there anything better than music?

It lifts you up when you're feeling happy or excited and calms you down when you're feeling nervous or angry.

In fact, researchers shown that listening to music can improve your mental abilities and your memory.

My favorites to listen to are Taylor Swift and Harry Styles.

Well, then it should be no surprise that music inspired all of today's filmmakers from the journey of a musician to a full blown music video about love, we have a lot in store for you.

(gentle violin music) - My name is Ryannah Blackman and I am a career technical education student in the music academy program in Camden County Technical Schools.

I first began playing musical instruments when I was five years old.

And when I was seven, I switched to the violin and I'm currently learning the clarinet and the trombone.

I believe there is a really big difference between a good musician and a great musician.

And I think I have a very long way to go before I can consider myself a great musician and that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm a bad musician, but there are just so many ways that I can improve the way that I play before I can consider myself a great musician.

I believe that music is really the most powerful way to communicate with people.

It really does connect people in so many ways.

And it's just such a beautiful way of speaking to people and telling stories.

To be a musician, I think you really need a lot of self discipline and really a lot of dedication because without those two things, I don't think I would be where I am today.

Being a student here has really given me such a wider view on so many things.

I never in a million years thought that I would be playing the clarinet or the trombone but I am now.

And I'm glad that I have learned those two instruments because it has just given me such a wide perspective on things and really opened mind.

(soft music) ♪ I'm listening to you talk about the eyes of somebody else ♪ ♪ You're telling me that you've been feeling distant ♪ ♪ You're next to me, head on my shoulder ♪ ♪ Your hand on my knee ♪ ♪ Crying about him, but I don't want to hear it ♪ ♪ Because has he ever longed to hear your voice ♪ ♪ Does he understand that you deserve the world ♪ ♪ Has he ever longed for you to hurt him just a little ♪ ♪ Does he check his phone and hope to see your name ♪ ♪ Even though there's no response, just the same ♪ ♪ As a minute ago ♪ ♪ And I'd break all the rules ♪ ♪ And I know you'd walk the world for me ♪ ♪ But I'd walk it twice for you ♪ ♪ And if someone like you ♪ ♪ Could fall for him then why can't you ♪ ♪ Fall for me too ♪ ♪ We're walking home ♪ ♪ You're on the phone ♪ ♪ Talking to him about feeling alone ♪ ♪ But I'm still here ♪ ♪ Because do you ever long to hear my voice ♪ ♪ Do you understand that I'll give you the world ♪ ♪ Do you ever wonder what would happen if we tried ♪ ♪ Come a little closer ♪ ♪ We're only getting older ♪ ♪ The days are getting cold ♪ ♪ So let me give you the world ♪ ♪ Come a little closer ♪ ♪ We're only getting older ♪ ♪ The days are getting cold ♪ ♪ So let me give you the world ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Let me give you the world ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ And I'd break all the rules ♪ ♪ I know you'd walk the world for me ♪ ♪ But I'd walk it twice for you ♪ ♪ And if someone like you ♪ ♪ Could fall for him then why can't you ♪ ♪ Fall for me too ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ (upbeat music) (gentle music) - Well, my view was in the real world, there are record labels.

At universities, even right here in Philly, Drexel, Temple, they have student record labels.

Why wouldn't a high school?

But there was some reluctance, obviously.

And plus we didn't have all of the physical space set up yet.

It took most of the first year just to get the equipment installed and get the music technology lab and the studio up and running, you know?

So I came in the door, you know, promising big but the students they weren't really impressed.

They're like, well, who is this guy?

And why is he here?

Anyway, by the time it was all said and done, we had a finished album.

(bright music) - Like Krystal Tytewriter is no joke.

Andrew Lipke is no joke.

- They always bring like positive energy.

Like I always try to bring positive energy too.

But like, even if, sometimes, you know you just might be down due to the weather or something that's happening.

And so like whenever, like I come and like talk to them and everything, they always bring like my energy up and make me laugh and everything especially Miss Krystal and Mr. Andrew.

- Well, I actually got involved with Hill Freeman because Mr. Thurman saw me teaching something called Tune Up Tuesdays where I go in and I show other instructors how to teach songwriting in ways that are engaging.

And when he saw me there, he asked me to come to Hill Friedman and help with this program.

- So my involvement with Hill Friedman records started with my connection to Ezekiel Thurman who is the music technology teacher there at Hill Friedman.

- And so we're excited to just be behind the scenes with teaching artists and student producers and all the resources to get behind Hill Friedman students and empower them.

- [Krystal] She really brought it for a rough version.

- [Mr. Mackenzie] For being rough, that's really awesome.

- [Krystal] Two hours.

We did it in two hours.

- [Mr. Mackenzie] No, that's amazing for just two hours.

Oh my God.

Thank you.

- [Krystal] No, thank you, Mr. Mackenzie and I love the lyrics on this.

Great job.

(gentle music) - Our school year was interrupted by the pandemic.

The shutdown, stay at home order.

- Well for this entire music making album process it's been tough.

You know, we're over Zoom.

This is like the first time we've completely done this over Zoom.

And it's just a different type of expectation.

When you're in the school, you're right there.

You can interact, you can make music, you can be there and feel the vibe of the entire studio.

But when you're at home, it's really hard to feel that.

- We have spent a lot of time together.

And I feel like this like weird bond with like everyone that I just like sit in these Zoom screens with - The term virtual means not real.

If somebody says a virtual existence the virtual existence prior to the way we've used it recently means it's not real.

- Some of the little moments you could have where you say like, maybe try this or maybe sing it like this or maybe this idea would work better here.

Like a lot of those things are a little bit harder to convey on the computer.

So I guess that's the biggest difference between just creating how I normally would and creating in this context.

- It's a different way of getting to know someone, like I might not see your face on Zoom every day, but then I can see like the writing that people do in music tech and kind of get to know people through that or the Soundtrap projects that they're working on.

So that has been really, really cool.

And I think that's what's like given me the strongest sense of what the Hill Friedman community is, is getting to see the art and the work that the students are making.

♪ Good God, these folks will never comprehend ♪ ♪ It's time to open up yourself ♪ ♪ And let it all go ♪ ♪ The hate go ♪ ♪ The hate go ♪ ♪ These open wounds, they will be sealed closed ♪ ♪ Like a wash of never let the hate go ♪ ♪ With love you begin to feel ♪ ♪ The pain slip away ♪ ♪ Pain slip away ♪ ♪ Love and healing lifts me high ♪ ♪ Love and healing lifts me high ♪ ♪ High ♪ (R&B music) ♪ So high ♪ - The umbrella, songs talk about like relationships, some good, some bad.

There are some love songs about how you wanna be with this person, but there's something in the way.

There's a lot of in your feelings songs.

- Oh this, so this year I know the music technology like the 10th grade, they're working with legacy.

So when I'm thinking of legacy, I'm thinking about oldies sometimes.

So that's a feel that I get sometimes from a legacy.

So that's something I can tell you.

So it's about legacy.

- Theme, the general theme of this album is like self care, love.

Yeah.

Like around that area.

So I think that's really a really important message.

Besides COVID because that has really shaken up all of our lives so it is really important to care for yourself and take that time.

And then also like with the love parts, stay connected to your loved ones and keep involved in like your relationships between your friends and family or so forth.

And I just think it's a really important message.

And I like it a lot.

- I can't tell much 'cause you know that would be a little bit of spoilers but I can say that this is one of our best albums we've created.

I think honestly this is one of our best albums from all the years that we have done.

We have a lot of stuff.

I think this is the year that we had the most songs on an album that features the most students and overall I think that it's just something that you're not expecting.

This is something that's gonna hit and everybody's gonna love.

(gentle music) - Yeah.

It's this thing that I saw in TikTok, a mini projector for your room.

Jen, I'm still trying to set it up.

Okay.

But yeah, once I do figure this thing out we'll have a ton of pandemic movie nights.

Yeah.

Masks on and I have a fire pit so I just need to figure out what to project it onto.

All right.

Ready?

I'm gonna hit power in 3, 2, 1.

Oh, it's working!

I know I'm so happy it's working.

I'm rewatching "Pride and Prejudice," what do you think?

All right, but it's the middle of a pandemic and I'm allowed to have a comfort character.

Don't even get me started on you and Harry Potter.

All right.

Yeah.

See you tomorrow on Zoom.

(soft piano music) (birds chirp) (soft piano music) (typing on phone) (soft piano music) (upbeat music) - Thanks for tuning into this episode.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Catch up with us online WHYY.org/YoungCreatorStudio to see our latest videos or submit your own films for next season.

I'm Olivia and I'll see you next time.

(upbeat music continues)