REDUX: Composer And LAUSD Grad Kris Bowers On His 'Last Repair Shop'

#243: We're bringing you an encore presentation of our interview with composer Kris Bowers about the documentary short he co-directed called "The Last Repair Shop." The film won an Oscar this past Sunday. This episode originally aired on February 27, 2024.

Today we’re talking to pianist, film composer and LAUSD alumnus Kris Bowers. Bowers has composed the scores for films like "Green Book," "King Richard" and "The Color Purple," and streaming series like "Dear White People" and "Bridgerton."

But that LAUSD part of his resume is very relevant to one of his latest projects.

It’s a short documentary that Bowers co-directed (along with Ben Proudfoot) called “The Last Repair Shop." It's all about the technicians who work in a repair shop downtown, fixing and tuning the more than 100,000 instruments the district provides to students, free of charge.

In addition to an Oscar nod, the film has also inspired a $15 million capital campaign — to raise funds for the repair shop and for a student apprenticeship program.