Vox Populi
A curated webspace for Poetry, Politics, and Nature with over 20,000 daily subscribers and over 9,000 archived posts.
Video: Play Hard
Nate, a workaholic drummer, spends all his time practicing in pursuit of perfection. When he meets Yazmine, a like-minded, dedicated modern dancer, he realizes that the key to success isn’t just to work hard – sometimes it requires you to play hard.
Running time: 13 minutes
Director: Winter Dunn
Winter Dunn is an NAACP award-winning director, producer and actress with a passion for depicting universal stories through the lens of BIPOC voices.
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As the father of a jazz bassist, I’d listen to him in the back room still practicing as I fell asleep around midnight—arpeggios, transcriptions, improvisations, gig prep. When he moved into the city, the silence was painful. Still is. To prioritize a dream requires process, occasional flexibility, but also saying no to some perfectly good opportunities. Dunn’s film returned me to the silence, only this time it was holy. Thanks, Michael, for including this.
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Thanks, Brad. I love this film for its quiet unobtrusive craft and its argument in favor of balance. Quite a debut for this young filmmaker.
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Dear Michael, since I am the only one commenting, and you seem to be too busy to answer me on Facebook messenger, I thought I’d tell you that I am having an open-heart surgery on December 12, 2025. Please pray for me.
I have to correct my severe-aortic-stenosis, which means I’m getting a new biological aorta (a non-human one). The doctor tells me, that aside from a wrecked aortic valve, my heart or the rest of it, “is a very good heart.” I also have a good circulatory system; I just need to change this part…funny! like in a refrigerator! Funny, but the Christian Scientist say that our illnesses show the state of our emotional, mental and spiritual selves. I think I’ve had too many broken hearts, so my heart now needs to be repaired.
I have a fabulous surgeon from Weill Corneel-Presbyterian Hospital in New York city; he is well known. His name is Dr. Leonard Giraldi. I could have chosen TAVIS, but I chose SAVIS, which is the open-heart surgery, because it gives a longer life span. Please pray/meditate for my surgery! You are a very good/noble soul. I see that you are as a modern Francis of Assisi, who was a very knowledgeable, brilliant and through thinking man, his spirituality was a consequence of his more consciously, more extensive, in-depth thinking.
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Dear Luz, I’ve been shut out of Facebook, including FB Messenger for over a year due to my posts about Gaza, so I didn’t know that you are going through open-heart surgery. I’m glad you are receiving excellent care. As you know, many Americans are without adequate medical coverage the way that you and I are. I wish you good sailing through these rough waters.
Thank you for saying that I am a good soul. On a good day perhaps I am. Blessings! — Michael
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This film explores the difference between what the artist is experiencing during the process of creating their work of art, as compared to their experience with the completed work of art.
The film does make a stronger emphasis on the experience of the artist during the process of creation of his/her work of art. Nate who is the main character, is a musician who spends much time creating and practicing his music. The film shows how Nate turns-down other non-musical activities for the sake of not abandoning the practice and creation of his music, such as when he turns down Yazmine’s invitation to play at her next stage presentation. The film hints that there could be a romantic relationship between Nate and Yazmine, but Nate doesn’t pursue it, because as he says he needs to use the time to work on his music. Nate spends a lot of time alone for the sake of his music.
The film’s conversations are carried out in low tones. During the artistic process of the artist Nate, we don’t experience the illumination and jubilation of a final musical piece played on stage, instead the visuals are dim lights, a slower pace, and Nate’s demeaner reminds one of the Myth of Sisyphus, when Sisyphus rolls a large rock up a steep hill.
Most audiences are not aware of the experience shown in the film, of an artist’s “agony and ecstasy” while creating a work of art. I believe it is a positive thing for audiences to understand this experience, of the amount of time and sacrifice most artist endure when creating their product.
I have recently read about the distress and sometimes painful experiences artist have endured during the PROCESS of creating a work of art. Some of these artists, to name a few, are the famous poet Robert Frost, the writer Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, or the classical composer Beethoven.
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Luz, thank you for this exploration of the artistic process.
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This short film is a simple story well-told, a task much more difficult than viewers realize, I think.
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