Thunder Soul documents Houston band

By Christine Jeon     9/28/11 7:00pm

Inspirational band director, Conrad "Prof" Johnson, was able to add unparalleled levels of funk and electricity to a struggling Houston high school jazz band, a band that would reunite after 35 years to pay tribute to their unequalled director. Thunder Soul is a documentary that follows the story of this remarkable reunion. Johnson turned Kashmere High School's band into the Kashmere band, taking them to multiple national high school stage band competitions and winning as the only black band.

According to Johnson, the band wasn't just playing music, they were putting on a show. The musicians of the Kashmere band weren't just zipping through notes. They were standing up and swinging their bells to synchronized choreography. The jazzy rhythm and blues pervades through the screens and invited you to the explosive funk of the early '70s.

The band united the community under a common goal: to put Kashmere on the map, and boy, did they do it with style. Johnson raised money through fundraisers and received a check from the Ambassadors of Texas to take the band on international tours. The band hit Europe and Asia and also recorded live tracks. They raised the school's standards. By 1975 Kashmere students received more college scholarships than any other high school in Houston. Their sports teams starting winning, and debate teams started triumphing.

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At the peak of their success, however, Kashmere acquired a new principal who immediately stopped funding the school's band. The stubborn administration that did not understand the culture and significance of the band caused Johnson to retire. Just like that, the Kashmere band's wonderful tale ended before they could even thrive.

Thirty-five  years later, members of Kashmere decided to reunite to play tribute to the 92 year-old Johnson, soon facing his time to pass. Some of them hadn't touched their horns in over 30 years. Some were parents, grandparents, heavier, older, but they had the same spark in their eyes as when Johnson conducted with his baton decades ago. So was Johnson — he looked older, frailer and thinner, but his expression was just the same. As one of the band members said, "I knew he was watching his children. Nothing's changed. I'm just older now. So are you. Play."

Thunder Soul, which received the audience award at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival, doesn't just follow a sappy story about friendship, love and reunions. It's about an educator who sparked a fire within a group of teenagers that was so inspiring that it still burns decades later. It's about cutting funds from music, theater and art programs due to the school's lack of money. Johnson said that music was an experience that his students may not have gotten otherwise. He believed music could "help those kids." Johnson knew the potential music had to ?overcome barriers.

This story is not based on a true story. It is the true story. The actors don't assume a character; they are themselves, with real emotions and real instruments. It was theater in its rawest form. Take the time to replenish your soul with some passionate rhythm and blues, and remember again what it truly means to ?be inspired.

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