Hello, Fellow Re:Union-Goers

A few weeks ago Brenton, our marvelous multimedia maker, told me about this outstanding idea he had. Now, Brenton’s an idea man through-and-through. When he’s not brainstorming ways to capture that elusive SOTRU story through the creative use of media, he’s strategizing effective ways to involve our audience and encourage them to tell stories about their communities. So, a clever concept from his area of the office is nothing new. But his plan for The My Community in One Picture Project, well this idea is absolutely genius. (more…)

One of the first things that attracted me to SOTRU was the idea of telling the stories behind the news headlines– the issues that may inform our lives in a big way, but don’t make it to the top of a newscast or front page of the paper. But, that said, knowing what’s going down where we live is a vital part of having a healthy community… and these are not easy times for the news industry. (more…)

While Greensburg, Kansas, is rebuilding as a green community, it is also constructing new cultural cornerstones. The 5.4.7 Arts Center is a nonprofit organization that is fascinating in both look and mission. They are another important and quiet exciting piece in Greensburg’s rebirth and were kind enough to answer some questions: (more…)

Fr. Bill Terry - New Orleans

We are excited to announce that today marks the start of our release schedule for the State of the Re:Union spring season documentaries! Below you will find release dates and descriptions of the forthcoming documentaries.

Until all of our documentaries are released, be sure to watch Brooklyn – Memorial Murals and check out this trailer for our other documentaries.

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Remembering Loved Ones Lost

Brooklyn-Memorial Murals

Often comprised of a simple portrait, along with a name, birth and death year, and sometimes a message, memorial murals began to sprout up all over NYC in the 1990s.  Today, it might be safe to say that there’s at least one memorial mural in every neighborhood in the city. We’ll explore the culture of memorial murals and the mourning, memories, death, life, friends, family and art that goes along with them.

Click on the image to play the podcast.

Listen to the full episode and explore additional content on our Brooklyn page.

Going Above and Beyond for the Local Music Community

For the Record: The Louisiana Music Factory

Sounds of the Re:Union visits the Louisiana Music Factory, a New Orleans record store that goes above and beyond to serve their local music community. From in-store performances to an extensive selection of local artists CDs, no one nurtures NOLA musicians like LMF. Host Brenton Crozier speaks with owner Barry Smith, as well as musicians Cyril Neville and Kermit Ruffins about the impact LMF has on the community.

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Hear How This Little Instrument Is Changing Lives

Sounds of the Re:Union - The Milwaukee Ukulele Club

The ukulele typically evokes thoughts of a Pacific island paradise, but as we found out, it’s all the rage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Ukulele Club consists of a group of people who come together to play the small instrument and find a meaningful, positive social outlet that creates a unique sense of community in their lives.  We spoke with the club’s founder and leader Lil Rev, as well as members Nina and Cheryl Ann. (more…)