Because of that production, Alabama Public Television officials reached out to Finley through City of Oxford officials stating their interest in the project.

“I think what happened is APT actually said, ‘Hey, that’s great, what you guys are doing. We want to talk to you. You know, your production team. How are they doing?’” Finley said.

She said APT officials were shocked to learn the production was created entirely by teenagers.

“APT was like, ‘What? Excuse me?’ Because, you know, my kids, they’ve done it at such a professional level that, yeah, it looks like it would be done by a professional production team,” Finley said.

The team at APT expressed interest in doing more than a live stream and brought up the idea of producing a documentary on Rubato that can be distributed nationally on any PBS station or other syndicate wishing to pick it up.

“What that will entail is that PBS will be partnering with us — just like any other partner that they work with within the country, any other professional production team — they will partner with us, see what we have, and then see what they can kind of supplement some of the things, the resources that we don’t have, that they can help us with,” Finley said.

The instructor said she was most excited her students will be able to tuck something as big as working with PBS into their portfolios for the future. Furthermore, Finley said PBS will partner with her and her team of students to send a group of professionals to hold various master classes at Oxford High School.

“They are going to be able to learn from the best, like the literal best,” Finley said.

The students will learn several key skills from the master classes, such as: What is a documentary? What’s the purpose? What does the pre-production process look like versus a short film? and much more that goes beyond what Finley herself could teach the students.

“They’re getting that real knowledge that they would not get anywhere else,” she said.

“We are incredibly proud of our Oxford High School TV production students for their outstanding work in live streaming the Rubato International Piano Competitions and Gala,” Oxford City Schools Superintendent Dr. Shannon Stanley stated in a recent news release. “This project is not only a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their skills, but also a testament to the strong partnerships we have with the Oxford Performing Arts Center, the City of Oxford and Alabama Public Television.

“The recorded product being used by Alabama Public Television and beyond highlights the high level of talent and dedication our students bring to their craft,” she continued. “This collaboration exemplifies the power of community and education working together to provide exceptional experiences for our students.”

Lucas Caron, a senior at Oxford High School and the studio’s tech director, said the project will be far more in-depth than the previous live streams that he and the other students have worked on.

He feels the production techniques the students learn will continue to be incorporated into not just the Rubato project, but their weekly news segments as well.

Caron has aspirations to become a mechanical engineer and work on racing programs, he said. However, his passion for the art of production has him thinking he might try his hand at filming cars rather than just working on them. “Can I do both?” Caron asked with a laugh.

Students buzzed around the studio on a recent Tuesday morning, some adjusting the audio microphones of those students who were getting ready to go on camera.

Oxford High School Principal Seth Taylor expressed his excitement and pride in the students’ work.

“This is very exciting news for our TV production team. I am not surprised at them getting the opportunity to produce for APT,” Taylor said. “Ms. Finley and our students work extremely hard and take pride in what they do, and their hard work is catching the eye of larger organizations. This opportunity is giving them experience that most students never get. I am very proud of them and the direction that our program is moving in.”

“This special collaboration with Alabama Public Television gives the city of Oxford a unique ability to communicate to the region and nation all the great attributes of our city and showcase this one-of-a-kind international musical competition,” Oxford Mayor Alton Craft recently stated in a news release.

“I am especially pleased our Oxford High School media students will be able to experience an exceptional career tech opportunity by learning from the award-winning Alabama Public Television production team, and then serving as the producers of the Rubato television special,” Craft said. “I want to commend Rubato founder Julio Barreto, Oxford Performing Arts Center executive director John Longshore and his staff, OHS Media instructor Candace Finley and APT Executive Director Wayne Reid for helping to make this special moment for our city possible.”

This article was originally published by The Anniston Star.