Music City High Documentaries
Students discover who they are - and who they can become - when academics are wrapped in creativity, expression, and opportunity.
Music City High: A Celebration of the Arts in Nashville Public Schools reflects this belief in action.
Filmed by The Moving Picture Boys, the three-part documentary series follows MNPS students and educators in visual and performing arts programs across the district. It shows how the arts deepen learning, build confidence, and help students find their voices—on stage, in the classroom, and in the world.
Building on the Emmy-winning Every Student Known, Music City High offers a behind-the-scenes look at young artists as they prepare for performances, create, and explore who they are. Each episode spotlights a different MNPS school and the educators who connect artistic expression to academic growth, strong relationships, and a sense of belonging.
“The arts are not an extra — they are essential,” said Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle. “These films show what happens when learning is fueled by creativity and students are supported as whole people. This is what it looks like when we create space for students to grow, express themselves, and succeed.”
The Three Episodes
Episode 1 - "Band Camp"
Cane Ridge High School
Follows Johnny Croft’s award-winning Cane Ridge Rhythmic Ravens Marching Band through two weeks of intensive summer training.
As freshmen become teammates and the band becomes a family, a shared sound — and a shared bond — finds its harmony.
Episode 2 - "When the Blueberries Get Ripe"
Hume-Fogg High School
Digital artist and athlete Hunter carries a legacy. Her parents graduated from Hume-Fogg. Her mother teaches in MNPS. Her grandmother taught visual art in the district.
Through her art class, at her grandmother’s knitting table, and in a robotics club where she explores how art can live in engineering, Hunter shapes a future that is entirely her own.
Episode 3 - "Behind the Magic"
Warner Arts Elementary
Music teacher Chris Blackmon wrote an original musical from scratch and brought it to life alongside Dean of Arts DaJuana “Dee” Hammonds and Principal Dr. Janelle Brooks.
Students rehearse, struggle, and ultimately grow into confident performers — discovering discipline, belonging, and the courage to excel.
“This series is about honoring the stories our students carry and the artistry they bring into our schools every day. When young people are given space to create, they begin to understand who they are and who they can become. Music City High invites our community to see that journey up close.” - Franklin Willis, Director of Visual and Performing Arts for Metro Nashville Public Schools and producer of the series.
About this Series
Episodes will be released weekly beginning Monday, April 13, on YouTube and posted to this webpage.
The series was filmed by The Moving Picture Boys, with the support of the MNPS Visual and Performing Arts department and many students and staff throughout the district. The CMA Foundation and Notes for Education sponsored the documentary series.
