Elias | Documentary

Elias is the founder of Noteworthe. Their mission: “Research shows music has profound benefits for people with brain diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s. At NOTEWORTHE, we believe there is an inextricable link between music and the mind.”

For this photo/video project, our crew came in to capture a live performance in addition to candid photos and portraits of Elias over the course of a single day. The portrait portion took place at a scenic park, while the musical performance was captured on Emory University’s campus. Elias’s organization, Noteworthe, has partnered with Emory’s Cognitive Empowerment Program (CEP) as a part of their musical therapy initiative.

Documenting the performance through photography and video production allowed me to meet the program’s organizers and beneficiaries, all of whom made one thing clear: their lives are measurably better thanks to the work of Noteworthe and Emory’s CEP.