Freedom Riders
Concert Film
Concert Film
My Country 'Tis of Thee
Freedom Riders
My Country 'Tis of Thee is a cinematic concert film documenting the Freedom Riders' all-star performance at NYC Winter Jazzfest, featuring acclaimed artists including Arturo O'Farrill, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Samora Pinderhughes, and Mádé Kuti. Created to promote the collective while preserving a powerful artistic statement, the film explores how music can amplify conversations around freedom, equality, and social change.
My Country 'Tis of Thee is a cinematic concert film documenting the Freedom Riders' all-star performance at NYC Winter Jazzfest, featuring acclaimed artists including Arturo O'Farrill, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Samora Pinderhughes, and Mádé Kuti. Created to promote the collective while preserving a powerful artistic statement, the film explores how music can amplify conversations around freedom, equality, and social change.
My Country 'Tis of Thee
Overview
Music has long served as a catalyst for change—bringing people together, amplifying voices, and creating space for conversations that extend far beyond the stage. My Country 'Tis of Thee, presented at NYC Winter Jazzfest, united the Freedom Riders and an extraordinary roster of guest artists for an evening centered on freedom, equality, and the enduring relationship between art and activism.
Music has long served as a catalyst for change—bringing people together, amplifying voices, and creating space for conversations that extend far beyond the stage. My Country 'Tis of Thee, presented at NYC Winter Jazzfest, united the Freedom Riders and an extraordinary roster of guest artists for an evening centered on freedom, equality, and the enduring relationship between art and activism.
Featuring performances by Arturo O'Farrill, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Samora Pinderhughes, Mádé Kuti, and other acclaimed musicians, the event transformed a live concert into a powerful statement about community and collective action.
My Country 'Tis of Thee
The Challenge
The Freedom Riders collective was created to celebrate the legacy of artists and activists who have used music as a vehicle for social change. Their Winter Jazzfest performance blended improvisation, civil rights-era repertoire, and contemporary activist voices into a singular live experience centered around freedom, equality, and community.
The Freedom Riders collective was created to celebrate the legacy of artists and activists who have used music as a vehicle for social change. Their Winter Jazzfest performance blended improvisation, civil rights-era repertoire, and contemporary activist voices into a singular live experience centered around freedom, equality, and community.
The challenge was creating a film that could preserve the energy of the event while positioning the Freedom Riders as a powerful and ongoing artistic collective.
The challenge was creating a film that could preserve the energy of the event while positioning the Freedom Riders as a powerful and ongoing artistic collective.
My Country 'Tis of Thee
The Solution
To capture the scale and significance of the performance, we deployed a three-person camera team operating five cameras throughout the evening. Our goal was not simply to document the concert, but to create a cinematic concert film that showcased both the collective and the extraordinary roster of guest artists who joined them on stage. Through dynamic multi-camera coverage, carefully crafted edits, and a focus on the interaction between performers, we highlighted the communal nature of the event—capturing moments of spontaneity, collaboration, and shared purpose that defined the evening.
To capture the scale and significance of the performance, we deployed a three-person camera team operating five cameras throughout the evening. Our goal was not simply to document the concert, but to create a cinematic concert film that showcased both the collective and the extraordinary roster of guest artists who joined them on stage. Through dynamic multi-camera coverage, carefully crafted edits, and a focus on the interaction between performers, we highlighted the communal nature of the event—capturing moments of spontaneity, collaboration, and shared purpose that defined the evening.
The resulting film serves as both an archival document and a promotional asset, helping introduce new audiences to the Freedom Riders while preserving an important artistic statement about activism, freedom, and the role of music in social change.
My Country 'Tis of Thee
My Country 'Tis of Thee
My Country 'Tis of Thee
My Country 'Tis of Thee
Performance Results
The finished concert film became a lasting representation of a performance designed to live beyond a single night. By documenting both the artistic excellence and the social mission behind the project, the film helps position the Freedom Riders as more than a band—it introduces them as a collective dedicated to carrying forward the tradition of artists who use music to engage with the world around them.
The finished concert film became a lasting representation of a performance designed to live beyond a single night. By documenting both the artistic excellence and the social mission behind the project, the film helps position the Freedom Riders as more than a band—it introduces them as a collective dedicated to carrying forward the tradition of artists who use music to engage with the world around them.
My Country 'Tis of Thee
Final thoughts
At Missing Frequencies, we believe concert films can do more than document a performance. The strongest live films reveal the ideas, communities, and cultural conversations happening behind the music. For My Country 'Tis of Thee, that meant creating a film that celebrated not only an unforgettable night of performances, but the enduring belief that music can bring people together, amplify important voices, and inspire meaningful change. Because sometimes a concert is more than a concert. Sometimes it's a statement.
At Missing Frequencies, we believe concert films can do more than document a performance. The strongest live films reveal the ideas, communities, and cultural conversations happening behind the music. For My Country 'Tis of Thee, that meant creating a film that celebrated not only an unforgettable night of performances, but the enduring belief that music can bring people together, amplify important voices, and inspire meaningful change. Because sometimes a concert is more than a concert. Sometimes it's a statement.
My Country 'Tis of Thee
Credits
Austin Kruczek
Julian Archer
Tyler Scheerschmidt
Talia Davis
Director/DP/Editor
Cam Op
Cam Op
Creative Consultant
My Country 'Tis of Thee
Credits
Austin Kruczek
Julian Archer
Tyler Scheerschmidt
Talia Davis
Director/DP/Editor
Cam Op
Cam Op
Creative Consultant
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Culture, sound, and story.
Your trusted creative partners.
Start your project now by contacting us below.
Culture, sound,
and story.
Your trusted creative partners.
Start your project now by contacting us below.