Songs of the Storm
Runtime: 27:59Songs of the Storm is a meditative documentary exploring how artists process devastation and grief through their work. The film follows two Western North Carolina creators in the wake of Hurricane Helene: Sarah Elizabeth Burkey, an Appalachian ballad singer who draws her healing inspiration from the natural world, and Doug Carr, a visual artist and musician transforming trauma into powerful electronic sound. Told in two chapters, each shaped by the rhythm of a song, their stories culminate in performances that reflect resilience, loss, and renewal. Though different in practice, both are bound by the same storm and a shared landscape.
Director - Aaron Stone, Caroline Aylward
Aaron Stone and Caroline Aylward are co-founders of Parkway Studios, a creative partnership dedicated to telling human stories with intention and empathy. Aaron is a visual artist working in film and photography, with a background in music documentation, field recordings, and live performance, bringing a slow, instinct-driven approach to storytelling. Caroline, a director, producer, and editor, draws inspiration from dance, rhythm, and vulnerability, with a lifelong love of capturing human expression on camera. Together, they create films that celebrate everyday life, even amidst moments of upheaval.
Directors Statement
After Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina in 2024 we began documenting on-the-ground stories with a small independent crew. What started as immediate disaster coverage evolved into The Resonance Sessions, a live music recording project capturing 35 regional musicians performing in a flood-damaged building. Through these intimate recording sessions, two musicians stood out: Sarah Elizabeth Burkey and Doug Carr, whose personal experiences of loss and grief revealed the deep role music plays in resilience.
Over the following months, we stayed close to their creative processes through walks in the woods, songwriting sessions, and vulnerable conversations. We began capturing the way in which art allows them to navigate grief. While their musical approach and styles differ, their stories converge around the truth that: even in the face of loss, art remains a vital outlet for healing.
This film is made entirely by a crew of people that all went through the storm and is very much our own version of healing through art.
