ANN ARBOR—"Love, Life & Loss," a music documentary featuring the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club, won five Emmys at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Michigan Chapter) 39th Emmy Award Ceremony June 10 in Detroit.
In the documentary, the Men's Glee Club performed "Seven Last Words of the Unarmed" by composer Joel Thompson and "Glory" by John Legend and Common from the film "Selma."
"Love, Life & Loss" was nominated in seven categories and won five—Bob Berg and Chris McElroy for Public/Current/Community Affairs, David Lau for Audio, Eugene Rogers and Joel Thompson for Craft Specialty-Musical Composition/Arrangement, Bob Berg for Director-Non-live (post produced) and Eugene Rogers for Talent-Performer/Narrator.
"The Men's Glee Club and I were humbled just to be a part of this amazing project and documentary, but to be recognized by the Michigan Emmys is far beyond anything we imagined," said Eugene Rogers, associate director of choirs and professor of conducting at the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance. "We hope this documentary and work continues to touch lives and foster critical discourse the way it has done for us."
Produced by Michigan Media at U-M, "Love, Life & Loss" was first screened on U-M's campus and has since aired on Detroit Public Television.
The documentary focuses on the Michigan Men's Glee Club and their conductor Rogers as they perform and discuss a new work that addresses issues of race and social justice.
At the end of June, a project webpage sponsored by the Sphinx Medal Excellence Artist Grant, Men's Glee Club, Michigan Law, CEDER and Michigan Media will contain the documentary, educational resources and legal research about the project and policing in America.