Motown High
A documentary about a high school band mentored by Motown legend Martha Reeves.
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Motown High follows Canadian high school musicians who form a connection with Motown legend Martha Reeves after meeting her on a Detroit band trip. Directed by Barbara Hager, the documentary captures the final two weeks of the school year at Victoria High School, blending cinema verite, performances, and interviews. It premiered as the opening film at the 2008 Victoria Film Festival.
Background
In April 2005, the Vic High R&B Band from Victoria High School met Motown legend Martha Reeves in Detroit after their teacher, Eric Emde, arranged the visit. Impressed by their passion for the Motown sound during a performance at Northwestern High School, Reeves chose to mentor the students. Two months later, the Canadian teenagers invited her to Victoria. She spent three days with the band, leading a Motown workshop, sharing stories from her career, and performing with them at a local nightclub.
Did You Know?
- Two days before the concert, Martha arrived with her musical director Alonza McKenzie and the students had to re-learn many songs because they had learned them in the wrong key or with different endings.
- Four of the band's lead singers were about to graduate during the final rehearsals.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Motown High (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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