Cristina Cassidy

"Are We Who We Are Because of our Past or Inspite of It?

<p>I'm a video producer and the Director and Executive Producer of a feature-length documentary called "Concerto for Two Brothers."</p> <p><br />Growing up, I was an "orchestra nerd."&nbsp; I played violin in my Jr. High School in Orlando, Florida, and was a member of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra.</p> <p><br />In Jr. High School I became friends with two very talented musicians, the Rex Brothers, Charles and Christopher.&nbsp; In fact, I was invited to their house to play music with them.&nbsp; It was on these visits that I came into contact with Charles, Sr., the boys' father, and their mother, whom they called Betty.&nbsp; Although their father could be charming, I always felt there was something menacing about him.</p> <p><br />I lost touch with the brothers after 8th grade when I moved to Washington, D.C.&nbsp; Years later, in 1983, I happened to be watching a New York Philharmonic concert on PBS, and recognized Charles, who was then Associate Concert Master.&nbsp; I immediately called the New York Philharmonic and the next day got a phone call from Charles.&nbsp; It was the rekindling of our friendship.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>We kept in touch over the years, and when I became a video scriptwriter/producer for a small production company in Northern Virginia in the mid-90's, I started wondering if the brothers would let me make a documentary about their lives.&nbsp; Charles would always say it was a good idea, but nothing ever materialized.</p> <p><br />It was not until I had left Northern Virginia to start my own video production company in Charlotte, NC, in 2008, that the brothers' gave the greenlight to make the film.</p> <p><br />It is now almost five years later and my video team and I are close to completing our labor of love, "Concerto for Two Brothers."&nbsp; The story we uncovered after we started filming turned out to be far richer than ever imagined.</p> <p><br />Please go to <a href="http://www.concertofor">www.concertofortwobrothers.com</a> for a synopsis and other information about the film.</p> <p>Making the documentary has had a profound affect on the brothers and their relationship, personally and professionally. For me as a filmmaker, it has been an incredible experience, not only because of the amazing story our film tells, but also because of the impact it has had on me as an artist. I have come away from it realizing the healing power of art to make sense of a chaotic world.&nbsp; The language of music, as Charles says in the film, is the language of emotions.&nbsp; It can help someone make sense out of a world gone mad.&nbsp; In the case of the Rex brothers, it may very well be what kept them emotionally centered at a time when their lives were in turmoil.</p>

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