Arlington music students ‘have a voice’ in history making soundtrack for JFK documentary

Through music, some Arlington Sam Houston High School students traveled through history while making some history of their own.

As a special project, several students honored the legacy of President John F. Kennedy by performing the soundtrack to “Three Hours in Dallas,” a short documentary. The film chronicles the three hours JFK spent in Dallas on the day of his assassination in 1963.

The film is mostly silent, except for a few highlights of speeches given by Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline. During a world premiere screening Nov. 21 at the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas, the students, all part of a percussion ensemble, performed live, the first of a couple of live performances of their work.

Now, the film plays on a loop for all visitors to the museum with their live performance as accompaniment.

The Sixth Floor Museum is closed until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sam Houston teacher Jesus Martinez composed the soundtrack for the 16-minute film. It is the latest of numerous films Martinez has scored.

“It allowed our students to immerse themselves in history,” said Martinez, who, having been born in 1987, knows only of JFK through history books and stories.

The students involved in the project, mostly percussion and one solo trumpet, are part of a new music and live film scoring ensemble that Martinez started three years ago with funding help from a grant through the school district’s 2014 bond. The program teaches students how to compose and perform music for film.

“As far as I know it’s the first such high school film scoring program in the nation,” Martinez said.

The grant money was used to purchase around $40,000 in equipment, Martinez said, including studio quality microphones, a professional mixer and pre-amps, a fully powered sound system, professional headphones, iPads, switch pedals and a few other additional sound equipment components.

“When we got the grant I wanted to teach students how to create cues for motion pictures,” Martinez said. “I remember how thrilling it was for me when I just got to meet a plethora of great musicians I got to write and perform my cues for.”

Martinez received his bachelor’s degree from UT Arlington and his masters from SMU in music composition. He also underwent an intense study program at New York University in 2015. Among his many accolades, he said, is winning the equivalent of an African Academy Award for a film titled “Mystery of Birds.”

For the film “Three Hours in Dallas,” Martinez said the group included such musical collaborations as a dozen different cymbals, a couple of gongs, metal pipes, whirly tubes and more.

“It allowed us to create different textures live. We went a little vintage and did the effects ourselves,” Martinez said.

One of the most somber moments in the film features a solo trumpet performance by Sam Houston senior Aylin Lozano. It’s right after JFK has been pronounced dead.

“That was a really moving moment. I’m really glad I was able to be a part of that moment and help make it so meaningful to those watching and listening,” she said.

The film covers footage from Kennedy landing at Love Field through his being shot to being taken to Parkland Hospital. It ends with a plane taking off as America pondered its future in the aftermath of the assassination.

Interspersed throughout the motorcade are excerpts from a Kennedy environmental speech, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the space race.

“I learned a lot about him as a president through working on this project. I like him and all the good things he did,” Lozano said.

“Because of this collaboration, students to listened to speeches,” Martinez said. “I found students were fully immersed in the program itself, thinking things like, ‘I need to hit this quarter note at just the right time.’”

Sophomore Aisleen Padilla is originally from Dallas, which she said made the experience even more impactful for her.

“From this opportunity I learned about the legacy of President Kennedy. I knew he died in Dallas, but I didn’t know about the conspiracy talk behind it and some other things.

“When we were playing at the museum I looked up and saw some people crying because the music we were playing was moving them. It brought out emotions, and I’m so proud of that.”

Preparing the project meant staying after school and putting in some long hours for the students. The reward, Padillo said, was being part of a project that will forever connect people to one of history’s most memorable moments.

She said it has also changed the way she watches movies now.

“Whenever I go watch a movie I do pay a lot of attention to the music and how it brings out so much of the film,” she said.

“Music can really move emotions. You can tell whole stories through music,” Lozano added.

Other accolades for the percussion ensemble being invited to perform in a music showcase at the Texas Music Educators Association. Also, Martinez submitted a project proposal with a live film scoring clinic.

Martinez said one of his students received a Curtis Fellowship for a summer music program, and a former student has written a cue for an animated film.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have huge orchestras perform my work, and I have a passion for education,” Martinez said. “I just wanted to start a program where students can write for film, orchestras, chambers, and have a voice in that.”