In the country of music, an independent film about a Florida Goodwill Industries employee band garnered the Best Music Documentary at Nashville Film Festival last spring. The film is an endearing collection of stories within a story, including how a volunteer band director aims to serve the unreserved and ends up equally blessed. 

In the feedback time following the film, I nearly lost it. I stood up to praise the volunteer's service and explained how Goodwill Industries is not just a place where we go to donate our clothes. For most of my daughter's life with autism, she has directly benefitted from the program. In the middle of my comments, I choked a sob and fought back tears of gratitude for Goodwill.

For 11 summers, Grace, my daughter with autism, has attended an integrated camp with a Goodwill-funded assistant and this summer she will, for the second year, work alongside a mentor at a local retail venue, learning job skills to prepare her for her impending adulthood.

This special movie returns to Nashville this weekend in ITVS' Community Cinema's special free movie series at the Nashville Public Library. More:

For Once in My Life is the story of a unique band of singers and musicians and their journey to show the world the greatness – and killer soundtrack – within each of them. The 28 members of the Spirit of Goodwill band have a wide range of mental and physical disabilities, as well as musical abilities that extend into ranges of pure genius. In a cinema vérite style, the film explores the struggles and triumphs, and the healing power of music, as the band members' unique talents are nurtured to challenge the world's perceptions.

Following Saturday's film, News Channel 5’s Vicki Yates will lead a discussion with disability activist Lorre Mendelson and Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee’s Career Solutions development director Debbie Grant. Mendelson will discuss the way the film — and the media in general — portrays people with disabilities and the impact of those portrayals. Grant will discuss Goodwill’s philosophy and job programs for people with disabilities. Music therapist Tina Haynes will discuss how music shifts the focus to a person's abilities. Nashville Film Festival executive director Sallie Mayne will introduce the film.

A 2:30 reception precedes the Saturday, January 22  3 p.m. film. The 60-minute film is followed by a discussion panel.