Don Lewis Press
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
A FILM BY NED AUGUSTENBORG FEATURING APPEARANCES BY: QUINCY JONES, JOHN CHOWNING, ALAN KAY, IKUTARO KAKEHASHI, DAVE SMITH, FRED CATERO, BRYAN BELL, GARY LEUENBERGER, MARK VAIL, HERBIE HANCOCK, BROCKETT PARSONS, DAN DEL FIORENTINO, JERRY JACOB, CAROLYN GRANT, SUSAN MAZER, RICHARD BATES. YEAR: 2018 FORMAT: DIGITAL RUNNING TIME: APPROX 95MIN PRESS KIT COUNTRY: USA LOG LINE An electronic music pioneer’s pursuit to revolutionize the synthesizer is impeded by technological limitations, commercial practices and racial stereotypes. SYNOPSIS “The Ballad of Don Lewis” is the story of a pioneering musician and electronic engineer whose genius and technological vision personified both the creative freedom and the institutional fears that defined the music industry during the 1970s & 80s. An African American born in the projects of Dayton, Ohio; Don Lewis progresses from church organist, to touring with the Beach Boys, to performing at Carnegie Hall to studio sessions with the likes of Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. After high school Lewis attends Tuskegee Institute followed by enlisting in the Air Force where he was a Nuclear Weapons Specialist for the Atlas Missile System. Eventually Lewis feels the calling to become a full-time musician, which coincides with the beginning of the Synthesizer Era. Quickly Lewis’s career is fueled by a growing need - a need to create the first multi- synthesizer network designed expressly for live performance (a concept that was 10 years ahead of its time.) The pursuit of this goal leads to technical, financial and social barriers … challenges shared by other electronic music pioneers who describe Lewis as a visionary … Quincy Jones (producer/composer), Dr. John Chowning (Stanford University computer music and psycho-acoustics pioneer), Ikutaro Kakehashi (founder of the Roland Corporation), Dave Smith (Father of MIDI), Alan Kay (computer pioneer), Bryan Bell (technical consultant for Herbie Hancock), Brockett Parsons (keyboardist for Lady Gaga) … instrument designers and artists that provide both a personal and historical perspective to the life and times of Don Lewis. Lewis’s early success in both Denver and Los Angeles leads him to San Francisco, where his difficulty in joining the local Musicians Union foreshadows future Union tactics aimed at destroying his career. In 1984 Lewis is featured on the CBS evening news (with Herbie Hancock) – this news story provides a balanced argument that substantiates the Union’s fears and their desire to impede technology. Prior to Lewis’s conflict with organized labor, he gains celebrity status throughout the Bay Area from 1977-1984, while playing the revolutionary instrument of his own design… the Live Electronic Orchestra (LEO) …and while his futuristic thinking sparked a high level of industry-wide admiration, it also created immeasurable levels of personal pain. Don Lewis disappears from public life at the hands of the Union, and with his career in ruin, he’s left to somehow redefine his role in the world of music. “The Ballad of Don Lewis” is the story of an American pioneer who beat the odds in bringing joy to others; a man who fought victimization and struggled through alienation by pushing himself, and the music industry, into a future that Lewis continues to envision. TEASER Play Video DIRECTOR'S NOTE When I first met Don Lewis over a decade ago I had no idea that our lives would forever be intertwined by countless threads of sights and sounds… film elements merged together in the telling of this man’s tragic yet inspirational life story. Tragedy and inspiration are not commonly combined to describe anything, but when recalling the story of Don Lewis, it applies. We were first introduced at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, CA.; a magical place where Don was scheduled to perform with his unique combination of vintage synthesizers known as the Live Electronic Orchestra (more lovingly referred to as LEO). I say unique in the truest sense of the word, since this creation of Don’s is the only LEO in existence and he’s likely the only musician in the world processing the unique talents and disciplines needed to play it. Also, making him the only person qualified to explain it. Thus, Don Lewis became my duly designated LEO tour guide. His thorough explanation of LEO covered from bow to stern… I resort to a nautical reference since the immensity of his creation seemed closer to an aircraft carrier than any kind of humanly acceptable musical instrument. Strategically piled on one another were sound modules, keyboards and rhythm units, buttons and switches; a parade of electronic instruments dawning such familiar labels as Roland, ARP, Hammond and ACE Tone. But what? NO MOOG? This requires an explanation! Don complied by saying, “I wanted a MOOG but it just wasn’t in my price range at the time.” But interestingly enough, it was Bob Moog who provided Don with his initial exposure to the synthesizer in the form of Walter Carlos’s groundbreaking album, “Switched On Bach.” A discovery that would alter and eventually define Don’s life and career. After the LEO Tour it was time for a sit-down interview with Don Lewis; a process that is always wrought with speculation. The filmmaker/interviewer is always hoping for a subject that can articulate and annunciate. This may sound obvious but for someone like me (who has interviewed well over a thousand people for news, sports and documentary) this is not a luxury I take for granted. Swirling through my head are differing strategies I may need to employ based on Don’s ability, or inability to be interviewed. Fortunately, after the first couple of questions I realized I had the perfect subject for the subject. This is when pressure of a different kind takes over… when my brain tells me, “Don’t blow it”. Looking down at the TV monitor next to my chair I could see that Don seamlessly fell into the enviable category of “telegenic” – the camera loved him. In fact, Don seemed to love the Camera as well. Really, to this day I don’t know who has more love for the other; the Camera for Don or Don for the Camera. But in the end that’s not important. What is important is that this critical relationship between subject and camera carries a heavy responsibility in supporting the most authentic source of story telling that filmmakers, and ultimately viewers, have to choose from – the first person. So after all the interviews I’ve conducted with Don in the making of this film, I guess I could say, “Don is my favorite First Person.” So be careful! Because after your viewing of “The Ballad of Don Lewis” he just may become your favorite “First Person” too. Not to mention the fact that he’s a helluva Cool Cat to hang around with! NED AUGUSTENBORG NED AUGUSTENBORG WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER NED AUGUSTENBORG has produced a wide range of content in the television industry, having produced or directed for ESPN, MSNBC, CNN, The Mountain Sports Network, Canadian Sports Network, Prime Ticket, CNBC and Sports Net. Following his formal education at the University of Southern California and the University of Arizona, Augustenborg began his career in computer animation while collaborating on experimental video projects at the Long Beach Museum of Art Video Annex, followed by producing documentaries on such diverse subjects as the California Department of Corrections, a struggling Los Angeles Latino rock band and the early life of Nobel Prize winner Glenn T. Seaborg. In addition to his freelance production career, Augustenborg also managed several studios for a variety of Cable TV operators throughout Southern California. A recipient of multiple Emmy and Cable ACE Awards in the categories of Entertainment, Documentary, Experimental Video, News; Augustenborg most recently produced and directed for Time Warner Cable’s newly developed sports channels in Southern California for which he received two Emmy nominations for "Best Live Sports Coverage" in 2014. Currently, Augustenborg is concentrating on the completion of his latest documentary…“The Ballad of Don Lewis”. DON LEWIS MUSICIAN/SYNTHESIZER PIONEER DON LEWIS is a gifted musician and educator whose mission is to inspire and empower audiences to achieve their dreams. Whether presenting a solo concert or collaborating with other musicians and artists, Don's music brings a message of hope, respect, and community. Don began playing piano as a Dayton, Ohio high school student. Later, at Tuskegee Institute, he accompanied and sang with the Tuskegee Chorus and played for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Freedom Rallies. Uniting his interest in engineering with his musical talent, Don became one of the pioneers in synthesizer use and technology. In 1977, he designed and built a synthesizer system, Live Electronic Orchestra (LEO) that was an inspiration for Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), now on display at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, CA. Don has performed at concerts worldwide and has appeared as a soloist with many symphony orchestras. As a studio artist, he has worked with such greats as Quincy Jones, Sergio Mendez and Michael Jackson. Don has also created scores for film and television productions including the award winning Rainbow's End and Were You There series featured on PBS. In addition he has composed music for commercial videos for such clients as Nissan, Pacific Telephone, and Digital Equipment Corp. Also an enthusiastic teacher, Don has taught courses in the history of Gospel Music, multimedia, and synthesizer technology at University of California at Berkeley Extension, San Jose State University and Stanford University. In 1987, Don combined his love of children, education and music to create Say “Yes” to Music! Since then, he has delighted thousands of students, teachers and school administrators across the United States and Canada with his inspiring musical assemblies.