Deadline’s Doc Talk Podcast: John Legend, Mike Jackson And Amy Schatz Stand Up & Shout With Music-Driven Documentary

Matthew Carey
·2-min read

John Legend and his partners at Get Lifted Film Co. are bringing some uplift to audiences with their inspiring new HBO documentary Stand Up & Shout: Songs From a Philly High School.

The film, now streaming on Max, explores an innovative music program at Hill-Freedman World Academy in Philadelphia that pairs students with local musicians who help the kids write, produce, compose and perform original songs. It culminates in the creation of an album recorded by the students that – as HBO puts it – “captures the challenging times they’re living in and the joy that music brings.”

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Emmy-winning director Amy Schatz and executive producers Mike Jackson — the Emmy- and Tony-winning co-founder of Get Lifted — and his fellow Get Lifted co-founder Legend join the latest episode of Deadline’s Doc Talk podcast to discuss their film. Legend, whose gifts have earned him the rare EGOT sweep (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), tells us how he identified with the songwriting process that young people explore in the documentary.

Kids like DaShaun, Dayani, Carmen and Adrian learn to tap into creativity they didn’t realize they possessed, under the guidance of a trio of mentors: Bethlehem Roberson, Andrew Lipke and Kristal “Tytewriter” Oliver (with a nom de plume like “Tytewriter,” you know she’s got to be good). They take a supportive approach to get kids over their natural shyness and hesitancy to share personal stories that come to form the basis of memorable songs. (The education program is directed by music technology teacher Ezechial Thurman, who also appears in the film.)

The podcast includes excerpts of songs written and performed by the students.

Doc Talk co-host John Ridley (himself an Oscar winner) calls this film the story we need right now, a counterbalance to trying times. And Legend makes the argument that this remarkable music program should be adopted nationwide; he contrasts the emphasis on policing and control seen in so many schools with the message Hill-Freedom World Academy is sending to kids – that they are special, worthwhile, and capable of exceptional achievement.

That’s on the new edition of Doc Talk, a podcast hosted by Ridley and Deadline’s Documentary Editor Matt Carey. Doc Talk is a production of Deadline and Ridley’s Nō Studios.

Listen to the latest episode above.

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