Director Bryce Denney tells the story of how groups of singers struggled to keep their craft alive during the Covid-19 pandemic. When restrictions were placed on people all across the globe, we found ourselves having to come up with creative ways to stay sane. There were so many things going on during those years, it was impossible to keep up with everything. Consequently, some of these “good news” stories got lost amongst the noise. Denney’s documentary is a really great way to remind us how people came together in times when we had to physically be apart. It also is a wonderful tribute to the many people who tried to make our lives just a little bit better during those times. Leaders of various groups didn’t just put their activities on hold, they tried to find ways around.
We’re all familiar with the divisions between key workers and those classed as non-essential. Doctors, nurses, cleaners, shelf stackers, shop assistants – people in all of these roles were on the front line. This revealed just how reliant we are on certain groups of individuals to keep society going, and hopefully made us appreciate them all the more. On the other side of things, most people in the creative sector found themselves in the “non-essential” bracket. But while it was impossible for this sector to continue operating as it normally would, it is actually the work of these people who kept everyone entertained. People turned to Netflix, watched live streamed theatre recordings, played games. The Drive to Sing takes the idea of creativity as solace from the pandemic and explores it on a community level. While large scale productions were halted, so were millions of community groups across the world. This documentary looks specifically at how two individuals helped start a revolution of car park choirs during the pandemic.
The Drive to Sing explores how music connects us. Many of those interviewed in the documentary describe how the music flows through them and the other members of the choir. This togetherness produces not only a beautiful sound, but an imperative sense of belonging. For many people, these sorts of activities are not just hobbies but essential for their wellbeing. It quickly became apparent that Zoom and other video calling tools were not at all suitable to host rehearsals. The latency makes staying in time impossible. Kathryn and Bryce are determined to find a better way to rehearse when they come across the work of David Newman. He managed to get people singing together at a safe distance, through mics all connected to the same PA system.
From this idea, Bryce and Kathryn grow a movement of these driveway choirs. They adapted the technology, using wireless mics and the singer’s individual car radios as monitors. They help others set up events, making documents that show what equipment is needed. The whole process is wonderfully selfless and rooted in a passion for togetherness, facilitated through the wonder of music. The documentary features so many of the people who used the driveway choir set up, and a lot of the interviews are extremely moving. The recordings from these events are beautiful too. I was especially moved by the recording of Brahms Requiem from the Chorus Pro Musica, a Boston based choir. The final recording sounds as if it were recorded in a vast church, not in dozens of cars.
Denney explains how the driveway choir operates from the technical aspects, to the organisation, right down the cleaning and transportation of their equipment. The vast number of people and groups included shows snippets of what other people were doing during the pandemic – how they were making things work, overcoming challenges and bringing something positive to the table.
The documentary concludes with short interviews where people explain what music and singing means to them. It’s incredibly heartwarming how the Driveway Choir idea was able to keep this passion going for people.
A moving documentary that highlights the importance of keeping community alive, even in dire times.
Watch the trailer below. The full documentary is available on Amazon here.