Music Rising

On August 29, 2005, a catastrophe of biblical proportions descended upon the people of America's Gulf Coast as Hurricane Katrina roared across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. It would become America's largest natural disaster - ever. New Orleans, the "crucible of music", was hit hardest when the storm breached the levees protecting the community. Within hours 80% of New Orleans was under as much as 20 feet of water and months later, the legendary city remains in ruins. Katrina created a diaspora of historic magnitude. Not since the Depression have so many been forced to abandon their homes. Over 1.5 million people have registered for assistance. Among the great numbers fleeing to safety were the city's thousands of musicians. Now scattered across the country without instruments, they are struggling to earn a living and have no way to connect with their community. As governments struggle to cope with the magnitude of the disaster, people touched by the tragedy are reaching out to help. Music Rising was founded by U2's The Edge, legendary rock producer Bob Ezrin and Gibson Guitar's Henry Juszkiewicz in conjunction with the Grammy Foundation's MusiCares to raise funds to replace thousands of lost musical instruments. If they can achieve their goal, they will not only replace some of the emotional and spiritual loss musicians faced, but give them back the means to earn a living. Music Rising was jump-started by prominent lead partners Gibson Guitars and Guitar Center Music Foundation who are collaborating on the design, manufacture and sale of an exclusive Gibson guitar with all proceeds going directly to the Music Rising program. The limited edition guitars are uniquely hand painted and all plastic parts are replaced by woods from the states affected by the hurricanes. It is expected this effort alone will raise one million dollars. The Music Rising documentary will follow this initiative from its earliest steps to the delivery of instruments to those in need. We'll see the unfathomable destructive impact of Katrina and hear first-hand stories from musicians who survived the storm but lost everything. We'll join Bob Ezrin and others as they work to make the vision of Music Rising a reality. As we witness the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we'll hear community leaders share their desperate pleas and their fear this tragedy will be forgotten long before it can be overcome. Our documentary crew spent the first 'post-Katrina' Christmas in the ruins of New Orleans with musicians who have returned to help rebuild both the city and their community. Christmas was bittersweet as they grappled with the incredible losses they experienced and gave thanks for the hope of a better future. We'll see Arlo Guthrie and Willie Nelson sing "City of New Orleans" and watch as The Edge jams with the Preservation Hall band on the day this historic location in the heart of the French Quarter is re-opened. Eight months after the hurricane and flooding, Edge and Ezrin walk the streets of the Lower 9th Ward and see that virtually nothing has been done to help the residents. Flooded vehicles litter the streets and homes shattered by the force of the storm are covered with mold. Yet courageous homeowners and volunteer organizations such as "The Common Ground" struggle to rebuild. But the people of New Orleans will not be defeated. Their spirit is truly inspirational, and as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan sing at the first New Orleans Jazz Festival members of the community like Reverend Leonard Lucas rebuild their communities. New Orleans is not going to be the city it once was in a few weeks or even a few months. Experts feel that it will take many years to rebuild the city and even then, so much of the culture and history stands to be lost if the music community doesn't return. Despite the hardship and tragedy, Music Rising is a story of re-birth and hope. The world will see that through the haOn August 29, 2005, a catastrophe of biblical proportions descended upon the people of America's Gulf Coast as Hurricane Katrina roared across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousand... Read more