Together to the Stars - A Chippewa Marching Band Story

This film is a my love letter to the Chippewa Marching Band. As a member of 4 years, this organization means so much to me.

In early 2018, pre-production of this documentary started. Production ran through the 2018 football season and post-production finished in April of 2019. The film premiered on April 17th at Celebration! Cinema Mt. Pleasant.

I grew immensely as a filmmaker through the production of the film. You can likely tell what parts were shot at the beginning of production and at the end. I improved so much as a videographer. The same goes for storytelling. I had never put together a story of such immense size. While I had a solid plan from pre-production, the film evolved from a 30-minute documentary to feature-length.

Despite the technical limitations and shortcomings of the production, I am extremely proud of the story that I crafted for the film. I would much rather have an impactful and compelling story rather than it look “cinematic.” The effect of my story was felt by the CMU Music Community. The hundreds of attendees of the premiere and all of the people that have watched the film online. My film connected with them. It is so special for me to share that same passion for the Chippewa Marching Band with so many others.

As a love letter and magnus opus of my college career, Together to the Stars exceeded my own expectations. I remember the production of this film very fondly.