Acknowledgements:
I want to start by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to Lou Sorrentino and his client, Dan, for dedicating countless hours with me both on and off camera. A special thanks to Hwei-Ling Greeney, my supervisor during my time at Amherst Community Connections, for introducing me to Lou.
I am also deeply appreciative of those who made the logistics and filming of this project possible. Thank you to my father, Mingguo Hong, for assisting with the camera-work; the Center for Community Engagement for offering me the opportunity to create this documentary and for providing the necessary funding; and last but certainly not least, Prof. Engelhardt, whose unwavering support, grounding presence, and invaluable advice kept me moving forward whenever I felt stuck.
Backstory:
I’m moved by music that had to be made, that spills out as a necessity. I’m drawn to music that pours out of profound, transformative moments—when words fall short of capturing the depth and meaning of the experience. There’s a sacredness in this relationship. Its power lies in what it refuses to be: unshaped by trends, free from the need for approval. It’s about the journey that brought it into being, the story lacing each note, the act of creating, sharing, and connecting.
Here, music becomes healing—a bridge to the human need to express what words cannot. This is the art that transcends critique.
In my documentary, I dive into the music that “spills out” from the depths of our souls. Personally, I feel music emerge most powerfully in my most vulnerable moments. I find myself reaching for Chopin’s Nocturne No. 1 in C Minor—a piece that mirrors my longing with haunting accuracy—or improvising sorrowful melodies of my own. Immersed in this atmosphere of music, I feel a release, a gentle easing of emotion, as though, for a few fleeting minutes, my world has brightened.
Music is woven so intimately into my life, and when I met Lou Sorrentino, a board member of Amherst Community Connections, I sensed he shared this deep, personal bond with music. I’ve met few people who turn to music as a true sanctuary in times of distress, and Lou was one of them. I chose to get to know him better, hoping to understand his connection to music and, in the process, to explore this sacred relationship we both share with it.