🎙️ Episode 16 Kathryn Bostic: Music Is Conversation | The Art of Film Scoring (Part 2) What does music reveal about a people, a movement, or a moment in history? In Part 2 of Rita Coburn's conversation with acclaimed composer Kathryn Bostic, the discussion moves beyond film scoring into the deeper emotional and spiritual dimensions of music. Kathryn reflects on the power of spirituals, the role of the human voice as a vehicle for healing and release, and how music carries the memory, resilience, and aspirations of generations. Drawing from her work scoring W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause, Kathryn shares how composers balance inspiration and tension, emotion and restraint, while helping audiences connect with history through sound. The conversation explores Du Bois's relationship to music, the cultural significance of spirituals, the evolution of Black musical traditions, and the artistic choices that shape a documentary's emotional landscape. Rita and Kathryn also discuss family legacy, the influence of Kathryn's mother and generations of women musicians in her family, and the responsibility artists have to preserve history through storytelling. At its heart, this episode is a conversation about truth, memory, and the ways music helps us understand who we are. 🔍 What You'll Hear in This Episode The emotional and historical significance of Negro spiritualsWhy Kathryn describes spirituals as visceral expressions of hope, faith, and resilienceMusic as healing, release, and emotional cleansingDu Bois's relationship to spirituals, classical music, and jazzHow composers balance tension, triumph, and historical contextThe challenge of scoring pivotal moments in historyWhat "stems" are and how they are used in documentary filmmakingThe collaboration between composer, music editor, and directorKathryn's musical upbringing and family legacyThe influence of her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmotherThe responsibility of artists to preserve culture and historyWhy storytelling remains essential to understanding ourselves and our communities🧠 Key Themes Kathryn BosticFilm scoringDocumentary filmmakingSpiritualsBlack music traditionsW.E.B. Du BoisMusic and memoryHistorical storytellingBlack historyCultural preservationFamily legacyCreative processMusic as healingTruth-telling through art💬 A Defining Idea from This Episode "Music is conversation." Music does more than accompany a story—it responds, remembers, questions, comforts, and inspires. Through spirituals, scores, and song, music becomes a conversation across generations, carrying both our struggles and our hopes forward. 🎵 Join the Conversation After listening to this episode and watching W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause, we'd love to hear from you. How did Kathryn Bostic's music shape your experience of the film? Were there moments when the score helped you better understand Du Bois, the emotions of a scene, or the history being told? Share your thoughts in the comments on YouTube or on social media using #OurTHS. Tell us: What scene's music stayed with you the longest?How does music help you connect with history?Do you agree that "music is conversation"?What role does music play in documentary storytelling?What family traditions or artistic legacies have been passed down to you?Your insights help us continue the conversation about history, culture, and the power of storytelling. 📣 Resources / Links Watch W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause on American Masters https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/ Watch the W.E.B. Du Bois: Rebel with a Cause trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMsik6rDQM Learn more about Kathryn Bostic https://www.kathrynbostic.com Watch Our Truth, Our History, Our Story on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ritacoburn9240 Listen to the podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323/episodes Transcript available here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598323 Stay connected with Rita Coburn https://linktr.ee/ritacoburnmedia Upcoming events and screenings https://www.ritacoburn.com/upcoming-events Download event photos https://www.ritacoburn.com/event-photos Social Media Toolkit https://www.ritacoburn.com/social-media-tool-kit 🎬 About the Series Our Truth, Our History, Our Story (Our THS) explores the people, ideas, and cultural forces shaping Black history and storytelling today. Through conversations with artists, scholars, filmmakers, historians, and changemakers, the series uncovers the stories that inspire, challenge, and connect us. Hosted by award-winning filmmaker Rita Coburn, Our THS creates space for meaningful conversations about history, culture, creativity, and the stories that define who we are. Each episode invites listeners to engage with the people preserving our collective memory and shaping our future. 👥 Production Credits Host: Rita Coburn Executive Producer: Andrew T. Carr Producers: Christine Coburn Whack, H. Lee Whack Produced by RCW Media Productions, Inc. © 2026 RCW Media Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
