What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music follows a new generation of artists in May 2013 as they carve out their own paths in New York, guided by the voices of icons like Brian Eno and the enduring legacy of Lee Scratch Perry. This documentary, a full-length feature, surveys the heart of the Red Bull Music Academy as it marks fifteen years of bringing ground‑breaking musicians together to create, collaborate, and celebrate the live, evolving life of music.
Shot in the vibrant weave of New York City, the film captures the energy and atmosphere that define the Red Bull Music Academy. Directed by Ralf Schmerberg and produced with Berlin-based Mindpirates, it uses a cinema verité approach to place the viewer beside the creators as they work, teach, and perform. The narrative moves fluidly between intimate conversations, studio sessions, and public moments, all designed to illuminate what it takes to be a musician when creativity is both a discipline and a lifestyle.
The roster of voices and performances is a who’s who of contemporary music, including [Nile Rodgers], [Giorgio Moroder], [Erykah Badu], [Philip Glass], [Debbie Harry], [Q-Tip], [Richie Hawtin], [James Murphy], [Flying Lotus], and [Stephen O'Malley], among many others. Each figure brings a distinct perspective—whether it’s the rhythmic pulse of funk, the experimental edge of electronic composition, or the pop-forward genius that has defined decades. Through these interactions, the film explores not just technique but the philosophy of making art in a collaborative, global setting.
The filmmakers emphasize the universal drive that underpins all creative work. As the artists share their experiences and challenges, the film reveals how the Academy’s environment can spark breakthroughs, influence personal growth, and, in some cases, become life-changing. The exchanges are candid and sometimes exploratory, tracing how a moment in a studio, a lecture, or a shared stage can alter a musician’s trajectory forever. The work gestures toward larger questions about purpose, identity, and the responsibility that comes with a creative life.
> The universality of the quest to create something meaningful.
What Difference Does It Make? A Film About Making Music is more than a documentary about making music; it’s a portrait of a community at the intersection of curiosity, collaboration, and culture. It demonstrates how a city, a program, and a cohort of artists can coalesce to push boundaries and redefine what is possible when people commit to their craft together. The film was released in conjunction with RBMA15, making its message freely accessible to a global audience as part of a broader celebration of the Red Bull Music Academy’s ongoing impact on the world of sound and beyond.
