By Rhea Mursalin
Carlos Douglas Jr.’s short film, Kenya’s Symphony, demonstrates the powerful effects that music can have on those who have been exposed to its beauty. Through the use of bright and colorful animation, this film paints a complete story of how reluctance can evolve into inspiration. We see how Kenya, a child being dragged to an orchestra concert, eventually develops a love and appreciation for music. She initially misbehaves and makes her boredom obvious at the show, but soon enough, she begins to imitate the clarinet player on stage and envisions a life playing and being surrounded by different musical instruments. Although the impact of art on the individual has been seen in media time and time again, this film distinguishes itself by touching on the whirlwind a child’s mind goes through upon identifying the activity that lights their heart on fire.
The lack of audible narration and use of classical instrumentation throughout the film acts as a valuable way of moving the story along, and allowing the viewer to be immersed in the sounds of the symphony. The little sound effects included whenever Kenya attempted to distract those around her also added a witty element to this project. Moreover, during the closing sequence in which Kenya discovers her adoration for music, an elevated and grand instrumentation is overlaid, creating a phenomenal moment of finality.
I found this short film to be truly heartwarming and an incredible lesson on how necessary it is to expose young minds to creative arts. I would give it a rating of 5/5 stars.
Rhea Mursalin is a recent graduate from the University of California, San Diego where she earned a Bachelor’s in Communications.
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