The Joy of Music

Born out of Boise’s restless, collaborative music underground, The Joy of Music isn’t a series so much as a conversation—one that started the way all the good ones do: by accident. When filmmaker Rick Walters watched classically trained violinist Alyssa Joy Claffey walk into an open mic and improvise fearlessly over his most tangled song, something clicked. That moment grew into Scoop: The Life and Legend of Darrell Thurston, where music wasn’t decoration—it was narrative, heartbeat, and truth. Shot in the bones of Idaho history and scored live through trust, listening, and shared risk, the process revealed a deeper idea: music is a language that doesn’t care about résumés, notation, or ego. It just asks that you show up and listen.

Captured during an electric two-week run at JUMP’s Play Studio, The Joy of Music brings that philosophy front and center. With Alyssa on the couch alongside artists like Andrew Chappell and the Bitter Root Revival, Dave Nudo, David Henry, Rooster Robinette, The Dozey Dubz, and other local icons, the series dives into how sound heals, teaches, and binds communities together. Even as post-production moves forward independently through Relative Work LLC, the spirit remains untouchable—curious, generous, and alive. In a time obsessed with polish and perfection,The Joy of Music leans into something older and truer: collaboration as culture, improvisation as faith, and the radical idea that music belongs to everyone.

This project is part of JUMP’s Studio Projects initiative. Learn more here.