You may or may not have heard about a recently released movie about a high school band getting back together. That movie is “Thundersoul”- a documentary that was brought to the masses once it received attention from Oscar winner Jamie Foxx. Foxx serves as the narrator on an 83 minute journey chronicling the reunion of the baddest high school band ever, the Kashmere High School band and their fearless band leader Mr. Conrad “Prof” Johnson. You’ll see in the film that Prof was much more than a band leader. He was a mentor, father figure, and a revolutionary in the way that high school bands performed. Prof had a knack for not just technique but also uniqueness. Kashmere is located in Northeast Houston, an area that is not necessarily known for music. That will all change after you see this film. Kashmere High School’s bad band was so good that one of the students reveals that his father actually moved their family so that he would be within the zone to attend Kashmere High and participate in the band.
Personally, this film brought back memories of my days playing alto and tenor sax in my high school’s marching and jazz bands respectively. Nonetheless, you do not need to be a musician to enjoy this film. If someone needed to wrap up the overall theme for a program such as Vh1’s “Save the Music”, this film accomplishes that goal. “Thundersoul” shows just how important a great music program can be not only to the students who participate in it, but also for the morale of the entire school. It’s been more than 30 years since the band last played music together. A lot can happen in 30 years. Will the band be able to recreate the magic of the ’70s? You’ll have to see the movie yourself to find out. “Thundersoul” is a movie for all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The film is currently in limited release. Trailers from the movie and recorded releases from the band are available on ITunes. For a theater near you, check out the movie’s website.
