The Music in Me (2007)

This is a story about a group of people called the Merry Makers who refuse to be defeated by the enormous challenges life has dealt them. There is nothing like them anywhere in the world. They're aged from 6 to 56 and most of them have some intellectual or physical disability. The Merry Makers dance and their performances inspire even the most cynical. Anyone who's ever seen them perform can attest to the fact that they have an uncanny ability to lift spirits and put a smile on their audience's faces. But that's not all they do. What the Merry Makers do best is perform miracles. Countless times parents bring their son or daughter along to class having previously been given little hope for their personal development. It doesn't happen overnight, but they change. Here in a suburban Sydney hall, both the parent and the child blossom in an atmosphere of love and support and under the leadership of the dedicated Artistic Director Lucinda Bryant. And their popularity is growing. Tickets have almost sold out for their upcoming concert at Sydney's Entertainment Centre with the Merry Makers as the headline act. So the pressure is really on. Whilst rehearsals for the concert intensify and the stress levels increase, Lea talks about her beautiful 18 year old daughter Rebecca who can't understand why she can't do what she wants to in life - so what if Rebecca has Down syndrome! Why should that stop her being what she wants to be? Lucinda and Janet reveal the strength and advice they share in the running of the Merry Makers. Their mother/daughter relationship is so typical, yet so atypical too. What mother/daughter act do you know of that runs a company like this voluntarily? Maria & Sam Walsh show that there's a lot to be said for perseverance. When Sam first came to Merry Makers 4 years ago he refused to even get up in class and spent the 3 hour class lying on the ground. It took months before he would join in with the others. Now, after years of patience, and a genuine recognition of talent, Sam is flourishing at Merry Makers. Sabina & Samantha's story is told with startling frankness - when Sabina tells of her refusal to let her granddaughter Samantha be put up for adoption, choosing instead to become a mother again in her 50s. And Aida bravely reveals her heartbreaking tale - her dream to see her children grow up and have their own babies shattered by a crippling disease that will see Aida outlive her daughters. People with disabilities have been given a place in society - it's on the periphery where they can watch the world pass them by but not participate. Only the Merry Makers won't accept that place. The Music In Me tells of this inspirational group of human beings who have transcended their potential fate and found their own place in life... and that's center stage.