Orlando, Fla. (June 25, 2014) Bolder Broadcasting, Inc. is pleased to announce that multi-talented pianist-composer Wayne Gratz will provide an original score for the upcoming documentary film, Conquering Kilimanjaro.
“This is a tremendous match,” says Marc Middleton, the film’s Executive Producer. “Wayne is an incredible talent whose music celebrates the soaring human spirit, which is what our film is all about.”
“I’m honored to have been selected for this important project,” says Gratz. “My best work has always been inspired by extraordinary souls, and when I learned about Conquering Kilimanjaro and what happened on that mountain, I immediately wanted to score the film.”
Gratz has always been a favorite of the critics.
“His compositions gracefully blend classical and rock elements for a middle ground that never compromises its spirit.” —Billboard Magazine
“An affecting pianist-composer long deserving of broader recognition, Wayne Gratz continues to specialize in stately, reflective expressions of the soul.” —Terry Wood, Amazon.com Editorial Reviews
“A master of turning a simple musical phrase into a meaningful and poignant message.” —Kathy Parsons, Mainly Piano
Gratz has released 16 albums over his career, including five that he recorded and produced under his own label, Wayne Gratz Music. In addition, his music has been featured on video segments during the Olympic Games, NBC television specials, Thomas Kinkade’s DVD and in numerous other television and radio advertisements.
Conquering Kilimanjaro is the first film from Bolder Broadcasting’s Bolder Docs. “We wanted to make a commitment to produce documentaries that have the power to change people’s lives,” says Middleton. “And this is a great beginning. The film tells an amazing story and is being edited by multiple Emmy Award-winner Michael Nanus and scored by Wayne Gratz. That’s pretty cool.”
Conquering Kilimanjaro tells the story of Survivor Summit 2014, a team of cancer survivors and cancer care advocates determined to reach the summit of Tanzania, Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest freestanding mountain, to send a message of hope and inspiration to the 32 million cancer survivors worldwide.
The expedition was led by Chris Warner, a renowned mountaineer who is one of only nine Americans to summit both Everest and K2. Cancer survivors featured in Conquering Kilimanjaro include Doug Ulman from Austin, Texas, a three-time cancer survivor and CEO of the LIVESTRONG Foundation; Wendy Chioji from Park City, Utah, a two-time cancer survivor and former TV news anchor who is now an Ironman triathlete and ski guide; Bree Sandlin from Katy, Texas, a Shell Oil marketing executive and mother; and Jeremy Jungling, a Business Manager for US Environmental and a running coach from Jackson, Mississippi.
“Something happened on that mountain that is almost unexplainable,” says Ulman. “Stripped of the comforts of home and thrown into a situation that became increasingly difficult with each passing day, we learned that we are much stronger than we thought and that our individual strength can be multiplied many times by the love and support of those around us.”
“The film will make its TV debut in Orlando, Florida, late this summer and we’re screening it for the LIVESTRONG community in Austin, Texas, in October,” says Middleton. “After that, we plan to distribute it nationwide and make it available on DVD. We’ll donate $10 from every DVD sold to LIVESTRONG.”
To learn more about Wayne Gratz and his music, visit WayneGratz.com and check out this video profile from Growing Bolder’s Bill Shafer:
The Survivor Summit Foundation was founded by brothers Mike King, Paul King, Brian King and Dr. Matt King and friend, Chris Callahan. Its mission is to lead cancer survivors and their supporters on life-altering journeys, inspiring them and the community at large to challenge the mental and physical boundaries associated with cancer. As a unique partnered event with LIVESTRONG, Survivor Summit raises money to support the LIVESTRONG Foundation while raising awareness about cancer survivorship. For more information: SurvivorSummit.org
LIVESTRONG Foundation
The LIVESTRONG Foundation empowers the cancer community to address the unmet needs of cancer survivors. LIVESTRONG works to identify the issues faced by cancer survivors in order to comprehensively improve quality of life for members of the global cancer community. LIVESTRONG believes that unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything. For more information: LIVESTRONG.org
Bolder Broadcasting
Bolder Broadcasting is among the world leaders in wellness and active lifestyle content creation and delivery across multiple platforms. Its products include the Growing Bolder TV show, the Growing Bolder radio show, the Surviving & Thriving TV show, Growing Bolder Magazine and a network of community websites, anchored by GrowingBolder.com.
You could not have picked a better composer for this film. Have been a fan of Wayne Gratz, along with my daughter who went to sleep to his music 20 years ago. Not because it was boring, but because it was so absolutely beautiful it invoked a feeling of well being and peace. I will definitely see the film.