College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

By Lauren McCarty ’26

University of Dayton alumna Claire O’Brien ’24 was in a ride-share with friends in Chicago during her junior year when the driver asked where they were from. “When we said Dayton, he said: ‘Dayton, Ohio, the capital of funk music?’” she recalled.

That interaction was the spark for a student-produced documentary about Dayton’s legendary funk music scene that won the UD Department of Communication the collegiate equivalent of an Emmy award. 

“After that encounter in Chicago I did some research and it was crazy what I learned because I didn’t know any of this history about funk music,” said O’Brien, of Columbus, Ohio, who graduated in May with a communication degree.

Produced during the 2023-24 academic year by UD media production students, Funk: The Sound of Dayton won in the non-fiction longform category of the 2024 National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Student Production Awards, Ohio Valley Chapter.

Fourteen students created the 20-minute documentary through the communication department’s Documentary Filmmaking course, under the guidance of Roy Flynn, principal lecturer and Flyer TV manager, and Greg Kennedy, senior lecturer and media specialist in residence.

Students learned all aspects of film production, including scriptwriting, interviewing and cinematography.

“I remind students that after going through this course, you'll understand the process of how to produce a documentary, whatever size it may be, whether it's 15 minutes or an hour,” Kennedy said. 

With interviews from Daytonian funk legends, journalists and historians, Funk, The Sound of Dayton tells the story of funk music's origins in Dayton and its cultural significance in the community. 

“It’s about the music — the fusion of jazz and blues and rock — but the real story is about the people and the history they built around that type of style,” said Brayden Chayer ’24, who is credited as a writer, audio editor and production manager for the film.

The inception of Dayton’s funk scene in the 1970s coincided with the rise and fall of the city’s manufacturing economy. When the economy was strong, Dayton’s large industrial working-class community had disposable income to pay for musical instruments and lessons. 

According to the documentary, Dayton was one of the most segregated cities in the nation during the 1960s. Black youths affected by poverty and racism were inspired by music, and through it found strength.

“Funk music let them be who they are and shine bright in a city that, at times, didn't really want them, which is sad to say,” Chayer said. “So I think just for us to highlight a smidge of that history, focusing on funk music was so, so cool.” 

Chart-topping bands such as Lakeside, Zapp and The Ohio Players were empowered in their youth by the public schools’ emphasis on music education and established the Dayton sound. 

The documentary not only explores these origins but also funk’s legacy in the community today. 

“If all these people can come together because of this genre of music — which still has proven itself even in 2024 — by the thousands in Dayton, Ohio, that's why I believe funk impacts the community in a good way,” said Deron Bell, a music director and recording artist from Dayton.  “As long as we have humans doing it, we all have a soul, so keep it funky.”

The University also played a role in recognizing Dayton’s funk music history through two funk music symposia hosted by Professor Emerita Sharon Davis Gratto, former Graul Chair in Arts and Languages.

In 2018 and 2021, scholars, teachers, students and performing artists gathered at several campus and downtown Dayton locations to examine the global influence of funk music. Through discussion panels, keynote speeches, musical performances and a dance party, the academic and cultural community collaborated to celebrate funk. 

Funk, The Sound of Dayton is the fourth student Emmy Award won in recent years by UD media production students. It was presented Aug. 18 in a virtual award ceremony.

“I felt very emotional about what we had accomplished as a group, not only for our school but for the community,” Chayer said. “It was really great to be recognized for highlighting the voices of people in the community who still live here and had such an important impact.” 

The media production program’s documentaries also won first place for nonfiction in 2018 and 2022, first place for best editing in 2021, and earned honorable mentions in 2016 and 2017. 

“Every year you don't know what the caliber of competition will be or what the judges are looking for. It’s like any competition, the end result is always fun, but I tell students, it's a great goal but even if they don't win, they are doing something of value. You’re telling a story and sharing that with the world. It is what we as writers and filmmakers do,” Kennedy said.