A Christopher Newport University student's documentary about NNPS student-musicians has earned a 2026 Communicator Award of Distinction.

The college student who earned the award, Sara Murray, created the video as a project for her "Documentary Film and the Community" class at CNU, taught by none other than NNPS-TV Station Manager Jim Anklam. Anklam is Professor of Film Studies in the English Department, teaching on weeknights.

Anklam introduced his class to CNU Professor and Director of Jazz Studies, Dr. Kelly Rossum, who works with NNPS students through "Soundscapes," a community music organization that educates and mentors young musicians, which would become the topic of the film.

Anklam and Rossum had attended a Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) training program together through CNU, and Anklam invited him to speak to his CEL course.

Murray was intrigued by Dr. Rossum's class working with local schoolchildren and proposed a documentary project about it.

"Her ideas for telling the story of students mentoring students through Soundscapes caught my attention," said Anklam, "and she agreed to be the producer of the documentary."

“Anyone that works towards the betterment of children and their future is someone I can support," Murray said via email. "After meeting everyone, I knew I wanted to do my best to let the world know how impactful something as small as an after school program can be for a child."

The documentary, entitled "CNU Presents Soundscapes: Music for All Ages," was produced, directed, and edited by Murray.

It is a short documentary (under 10 minutes long) on Soundscapes and the ongoing partnership CNU student-musicians have with the young musicians in NNPS, especially at Greenwood Elementary School. Soundscapes has been offered at Greenwood for more than 16 years.

The video features observational footage showing the elementary students preparing for a performance — from early instruction, rehearsals, and a recording session, to the springtime performance.

Interviews include Dr. Rossum, Soundscapes Co-founder and Program Director Reynaldo Ramirez, Soundscapes instructors, CNU student-mentors, and even a parent. The interviews were conducted at a variety of locations.

In her proposal, Murray stated that the video "aims to capture the profound impact of music education on both students and mentors" while exploring "themes of growth through music, perseverance, and the joy of performing."

CNU student-producer Sara Murray conducts an interview and records Soundscapes musicians at Greenwood Elementary.

NNPS-TV assisted Murray by gathering additional footage for the documentary. Production Specialist Aaron Moore shot video at one of the practices, while Anklam assisted the night of the performance. However, Murray relied mostly on her own footage when she edited the video. Hers was considered the "main camera" while the others were "second units" and minimal images were used in the final product.

The video was enhanced by Moore to improve the audio quality of the interviews, add lower-thirds (graphical overlays providing extra content) according to Murray's information, and other small improvements like color correction that graduating seniors don't always have time to complete.

Said Anklam, "her documentary on Soundscapes was one of four she completed for class during the semester. She did a fantastic job producing it, especially considering that most students in the class did not have any production experience."

"She was an exemplary student in every way," Anklam continued. "She studied science but also excelled in English and communication."

Murray even highlighted her rugby team in one of her video projects.

According to Anklam, her Soundscapes video was a huge success. Soundscapes leadership was ecstatic about the video and the award.

As for Murray, she is appreciative of the time spent inside the program, getting to know the people involved, and telling their story.

"I cannot thank Soundscapes enough for the opportunity," she said.