‘A Lovely Day,’ Doc on Hip-hop Therapy in Oakland High Schools, to Air on Revolt on Mar. 9

A Lovely Day (2012)

Kerri Gawryn ‘s A Lovely Day , an award-winning 2012 documentary on hip-hop therapy for Oakland high school students, will makes its television debut on Diddy ‘s cable television network, Revolt , on March 9th.

A collaboration with Oakland-based organization Beats, Rhymes and Life and the Oakland High School Fifth Element Hip Hop Club , the film documents nine teens from Oakland, California immersed in a six month hip-hop music therapy workshop.

The students engage in self-reflection, discuss their life experiences and work together towards the common goals of creating a full-length album and performing a live concert.

Named after A Tribe Called Quest ‘s 1996 album, Beats, Rhymes and Life , the program was launched in 2004 by Tomás Alvarez III , a social worker and founder of BRL.

“Rap Therapy” engages marginalized youth using hip-hop music and cultural expression as tools for healing and empowerment.

After a successful pilot program that saw a 97% attendance rate and a 100% retention rate, the initiative was implemented in several Oakland schools before branching out to San Francisco and the South Bronx, New York.

Produced by Reflection Films , A Lovely Day began making its festival rounds at the 2013 Nashville Film Festival , where it won Best Hispanic Interest Film.

It has also premiered at the 2013 SF International Film Festival , the 2013 UrbanWorld Film Festival , the 2013 TallGrass Film Festival , the 2013 BronzeLens Film Festival and the 2014 Pan African Film Festival .

Watch the trailer below and tune into the tv premiere on Revolt at Sunday, March 9, 2014 at 8:00 pm.

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