Broken Orchestra

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

As part of the AFI Docs Short Film Program, Broken Orchestra chronicles the story behind Philadelphia’s crumbling arts education programs and the initiative to restore it. But the story goes beyond just the school system. We see a community band together to provide the necessary instruments to students to further their creativity and education.

From 2007-2017 the funding for arts programs in Philadelphia went from $1,300,000 to $50,000 annually. And in a city that thrives on music and the arts, something needed to be done. Enter Robert Blackson, not only the Founding Director for Temple Contemporary at Tyler School of Art, but also the creator of the “Symphony For A Broken Orchestra” project. The premise was simple: in 2013 Blackson came across broken instruments in the school gymnasium of a closed school. With the bleak outlook of arts in public schools, Blackson decided that in order to make a difference he needed to place the lack of support of music education right in the spotlight.

With the broken instruments that were collected and about four hundred professional and amateur musicians giving their time to comprise the orchestra, Composer David Lang wrote an original piece that would be performed by these neglected instruments. The premise behind the music composed was to show the beauty of each instrument, even in its broken state. Sticking keys, missing pieces, flat notes—the show for “Symphony For A Broken Orchestra” made Philadelphians face the reality that music was suffering and help was needed to help restore its original purpose. The show was a success, resulting in over a thousand instruments being “adopted” by donators, restored to their former glory, and distributed back into Philadelphia’s public schools.

Director Charlie Tyrell’s vision for Broken Orchestra is executed with such a minimalist approach: in a school, utilizing stop-go motion and rolling media units that pretty much all of us who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s remember well. The story goes from TV to TV, giving us that nostalgic feeling of being back in school. But that is where the nostalgia ends as the reality of how Philadelphia has struggled financially is an underlying theme throughout. Unfortunately, Philadelphia is one of numerous places that have had funding to the arts cut. This tale is not a new one. But the music plays on and music can still change lives.

“Symphony For A Broken Orchestra” has begun to transform music education in Philadelphia as Blackson recalls dropping off a bass to a music class, only for the students to realize that most of their instruments were those adopted by generous donors and restored to their former beauty. “Symphony For A Broken Orchestra” came full-circle and accomplished exactly what it had needed to do—give music a chance to shine again. More importantly, Irku Salmon (one of the audience members from the show) reminds us of a bigger lesson within the heart of the project: “No matter what is broken, you can fix it.”

To watch Broken Orchestra and find out more information about “Symphony For A Broken Orchestra,” please visit http://symphonyforabrokenorchestra.org/.