#243: 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.

#243: 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.

How to L.A. aims to drop a little knowledge about ALL the things that affect the people of Los Angeles, whether that’s something that makes our city great (tacos!) or something that we need to work on, like the alarming number of traffic collisions. We serve the curious Angeleno who wants to better connect with our city, discover the new, navigate the confusing and even drive some change along the way. 

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

How to L.A. aims to drop a little knowledge about ALL the things that affect the people of Los Angeles, whether that’s something that makes our city great (tacos!) or something that we need to work on, like the alarming number of traffic collisions. We serve the curious Angeleno who wants to better connect with our city, discover the new, navigate the confusing and even drive some change along the way. 
Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Advertisement