For my films about musicians, it is imperative that I use ONLY their music -- classic hits, deep album cuts, backing tracks, or unreleased material. The extraordinary power, energy, drama, beauty, poignancy, and pain heard in these tracks bring the events of times past to life. I work very closely with my longtime collaborator, editor Peter S. Lynch II, on this aspect of the filmmaking. We use lyrics to advance the story, provide insight into what the subject might have been thinking or feeling at a given moment in time, as well as to comment on incidents that unfold in the film. This elevates the emotional resonance of the film and allow even those familiar with the artist’s music to hear it in a completely new and different way. With my other longtime collaborator, producer Dave Harding, we use our extensive experience and creativity to license the music within the constraints of a documentary budget.