Listen to This

This poignant documentary follows three eight- to nine-year-old students—Jasmine, Donta and Whitney—as they participate in an after school music program for inner-city children in Toronto, Canada. Viewers will laugh and cry as students expose their philosophies on life and their concerns about violence in their neighborhoods. Pianist Thompson Egbo-Egbo along with other mentors, who unfortunately we don't learn too much about, work closely with the three children as well as with an entire class of students. Viewers see Jasmine transform from a bashful little girl into a singer/songwriter who learns from her mentor to say, "I am an artist," and mean it. As Donta is followed, we meet his single mom who struggles financially and wants nothing more than for her son to go to college. He is musically talented but unsure of his place within the after school group. Whitney offers some comic relief through her heartwarming home videos. She also believes that learning a new song can "Makes you very happy and proud of yourself." Viewers will grow to love these students and want to see them overcome adversity. An affecting film about what it means to be heard.—Caitlyn Walsh, Fayetteville Public Library, AR