A Song for Faith

A Song for Faith is both a novel and a feature motion picture project.

A Song for Faith explores the deep connections between American music and culture, using jazz — an improvisational art form built on interplay and communication — as a metaphor for how American society ultimately functions. It is also a celebration of the rich musical legacy of Duke Ellington, whose presence subtly echoes through the story.

Set in the summer of 1959, in a small, segregated Mississippi town, the film follows eighteen-year-old Tom Sterns, a classically trained pianist who has just graduated high school. Pressured by his evangelical community to accept a scholarship to a local Bible college, Tom finds himself drawn instead to the world of jazz, a music that speaks to his restless spirit and growing awareness of a larger, more complex world. He secretly befriends Ham, an older black jazz pianist who reluctantly agrees to give him lessons, setting Tom on a path that challenges the rigid racial and cultural boundaries of his hometown.

As Tom navigates the tensions between his upbringing and his newfound passion, he encounters figures on both sides of the color line—his strict but loving mother, his wise and reflective grandfather, a bitter young black man dreaming of escape, and Foster, a washed-up white alcoholic who sees himself in Tom’s youthful rebellion. Through his experiences — both uplifting and painful — Tom begins to understand that American culture, like jazz itself, thrives on interaction, evolution, and the breaking down of barriers. His journey ultimately leads him to a defining choice: to stay within the expectations set for him or step into the unknown, carrying with him the lessons of music, history, and the people who have shaped him.

At its core, A Song for Faith is a coming-of-age story about identity, music, and change. As Tom plays Duke Ellington’s “A Song for Faith” at his grandfather’s funeral, he signals not just the passing of an era but the emergence of something new — a future shaped not by division, but by the harmonies that connect us all.

© 2025. All rights reserved.