“American Symphony:” A beautiful story but mediocre storytelling 

I’ve never had a proficiency in the realm of music-making. All those years of piano lessons and I still couldn’t tell you which side of the instrument plays low notes and which plays the high ones. Despite my musical ineptitude, I’ve always admired those who are musically gifted. 

Yesterday, Netflix released a musical documentary titled “American Symphony,” which follows singer and songwriter Jon Batiste. The film features him juggling the 2022 Grammys — for which he was nominated for 11 awards — the opportunity to orchestrate his own symphony and the pressures from his community to reclaim their right to creativity. In addition, the documentary sheds light on Batiste’s struggles with anxiety and the health crisis his partner is facing for the second time. 

Batiste’s relationship with music began in his hometown of Metairie, Louisiana. After years of developing his gift, he became a songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist — a resume that landed him a spot at the most prestigious art school in the country, Julliard. Batiste notes that this was the earliest instance in which he struggled to find his place in the music realm, as Julliard is a place that focuses on European classical music. As a Black man from the South, Batiste did not feel like he was suited to fit into that mold, but that did not withhold his creativity. 

The film begins with Batiste switching between one phone call reiterating his impressive potential Grammy lineup and the other about his opportunity to orchestrate his own symphony to perform at Cargenie Hall. The first part of the documentary depicts how Batiste and the rest of the world reacted to the announcements. In response to the Grammy nominations, not everyone was as ecstatic as Batiste. He received nominations in both classical and jazz categories, which was the root of the controversy. The film covers a contradictory conversation in pop culture media surrounding the nominations. One article described Batiste as a character that could compete with icons like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo;, others characterized him as a “jazz darling” and others claimed that he knew nothing about classical music and angered the “real” classical music community. 

 Next, the documentary takes a turn away from Batiste’s professional career and delves into his personal life. Viewers get an inside look into his relationship with writer and motivational speaker, Suleika Jaouad. The couple hosts a small, intimate wedding with just themselves and their closest friends. They scheduled the event so that Jaouad could properly celebrate before her return to treatment for leukemia. 

The concern for his new bride’s health piggybacking on the pressure he feels about creating the perfect symphony pulls Batiste into a dark mental state. The artist shares his history of anxiety and panic attacks, and reveals that the whirlwind of chaos that has overcome his life is bringing these ailments back with intensity. 

As if preparing a symphony to perform at one of the most iconic concert venues wasn’t stressful enough, Batiste shares that he feels pressure from the Black creator community. He shares that he and other Black artists feel that the music industry constrains them to one type of music genre and limits their freedom to experiment and expand creatively. Batiste wanted this symphony to show the world what Black artists are capable of when given the opportunity. Unfortunately, when it came to showtime, the universe worked against him and the stage power shut down. Whether or not he saved the performance I will leave up to your judgment. 

Now, based on the title of this article, you’re probably wondering what negatives I have to say about this seemingly moving film. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the story and getting a behind-the-scenes look into his life, but the way the documentary itself was made is what threw me off. 

To start, the film had a vintage blue and yellow tint to it, which for some scenes wasn’t a problem, but for others felt a little hard on the eyes — but that could just be personal preference. Another thing I couldn’t enjoy was the constant playing of music in the background. No matter if there was dialogue or scene changes, there was always a piano vigorously playing in the background. Sometimes it seemed necessary, but at other times, it felt like an overstimulation as it created difficulty to focus on what people were saying. Finally, the way this was filmed follows more along the lines of a film adaptation of a book rather than a documentary. Key components such as one-on-one interviews were missing and replaced with theatrical elements such as overdramatization in some scenes. 

Apart from these critiques, I would recommend this film to anyone interested in learning more about what it is truly like to work and live in the entertainment industry. The interconnectivity between Batiste’s own struggles and equity and inclusion makes the story compelling and thoughtful. 

Rating: 4/5