Alex Reiser
Production Manager
Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars

Members of the Refugee All Stars and their production manager, Alex Reiser '99

For Alex Reiser, Class of 1999, opportunity came in the form of nine musically gifted West African refugees visiting the United States. Alex’s friend Banker White had recently completed a documentary film about Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, a group of musicians forced from their homes during a brutal civil war. Alex was both familiar with and interested in the plight of African refugees; his mother works with Friends of the Sudanese, an organization that assists Sudanese refugees with housing and education, helping them navigate their new lives in the United States. These young, male refugees, known as the Lost Boys, were the focus of a short documentary that Alex had just completed. The filming took place in the refugees’ home village in Sudan, which many of them were returning to for the first time in 20 years.

In 2006, Alex traveled to New York City for a screening of Banker’s documentary and a concert by the All Stars. “The band’s production manager had just left the group,” Alex explains, “and Banker asked whether I knew anyone willing to fill the spot. I thought, why not me?” Officially, as the All Stars’ production manager, Alex deals with all their instrument and equipment needs, contacting and negotiating with representatives of venues and recording studios. Unofficially, he has become the Africans’ liaison to this country. “In some ways, I act as a cultural interpreter for them. When they first came here, they were amazed by everything they saw. They had no idea how to get around, how to get food—I had to help them navigate all of that.”

Coming into the position, Alex had some earlier experience with music production, although primarily as a musician. Milton’s jazz program was a large part of Alex’s high school experience; in college he played the bass in a bluegrass band, traveling with a circus in Vermont where he learned about touring and production logistics.
Since the premiere of the documentary film about them, the All Stars have toured five continents. They have played or recorded alongside musical giants like Aerosmith, R.E.M., U2 and Green Day. They have been guests on Oprah Winfrey, CBS’s Sunday Morning, CNN, and NPR’s “Talk of the Nation,” and their music was featured in the 2006 blockbuster film Blood Diamond.

Beyond the high-profile collaborations and connections with organizations like Amnesty International, Alex points to some less obvious rewards of his work: “Seeing the United States through [the band members’] eyes is a truly awesome experience. When they first came here, everything was brand new to them: things I take for granted—skyscrapers, for instance. They put all of that in a very cool perspective for me, and that has been a wonderful, eye-opening experience.

“The thing that makes working with them so appealing is their ability to give a voice to people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to get their story out there. These people have been through awful, unspeakable situations, but they still have a positive outlook that they communicate through their music. That really resonates with me. Being involved in the filmmaking, the music and the message has been a powerful experience. Their music is about feeling, giving hope, finding human connection, despite all of the hardship. That’s inspiring.”

In addition to his production work with the All Stars, Alex is collaborating with Banker on developing a network that will teach media production to African refugees, and a Web site that will provide them with a forum to share their stories with one another and with the world. “Being part of a creative process is essential for keeping me involved and interested in something,” Alex says. “Making connections with others through the creative process—whether it’s in collaborating or sharing the final product—is important to me. In my ideal situation, I am actively engaged in something I really care about and I’m creatively involved in how all of it happens.”

Erin Hoodlet

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