The Last Repair Shop is an Oscar-winning documentary short directed by Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot. It had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2023, before a free wide release via the Los Angeles Times on November 8, 2023, and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 96th Oscars on March 10, 2024.
The film profiles four craftspeople who repair and maintain roughly 80,000 musical instruments for Los Angeles public school students at no cost, alongside several students whose lives have been changed by the program. It shows how music can be the best medicine, an anxiety reliever, and even an escape from poverty.
Quick Facts
| Title | The Last Repair Shop |
| Type | Documentary Short Film |
| Directors | Kris Bowers & Ben Proudfoot |
| Premiere | September 1, 2023 (Telluride Film Festival) |
| Composer(s) | Katya Richardson (score) & Kris Bowers (themes) |
| Genre | Documentary / Orchestral Score |
| Where to Stream | Disney+, YouTube (LA Times channel) |
| Status | Released — Academy Award winner, Best Documentary Short Film (2024) |
Who Composed The Last Repair Shop?
The original score for The Last Repair Shop was composed by Katya Richardson, with additional themes by Kris Bowers. Richardson is a young artist best known for her looping vocals and genre-blending style, and she performs several of the score’s vocal cues herself. (Note: some earlier write-ups of this soundtrack spelled her name “Kayla Richardson” — Katya Richardson is the correct spelling.)
Kris Bowers is an American composer and pianist whose other film and TV credits include Green Book (2018), King Richard (2021), and Netflix’s Bridgerton (2020). Bowers and Proudfoot previously co-directed the Oscar-nominated short A Concerto Is a Conversation (2021), which also explored music and family history.
The Last Repair Shop Soundtrack: Every Song
Here is the complete tracklist for The Last Repair Shop. All music is composed by Katya Richardson and Kris Bowers, except where noted. You can listen on Spotify and Apple Music.
| # | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Last Repair Shop | Richardson & Bowers | 2:06 |
| 2 | Dana: Strings | Richardson | 0:38 |
| 3 | It’s Hard Being a Kid | Richardson | 0:40 |
| 4 | I Thought I Was Broken | Richardson & Bowers | 1:13 |
| 5 | Practice Makes Perfect | Richardson & Bowers | 0:38 |
| 6 | I’m Still Here | Richardson & Bowers | 0:48 |
| 7 | Paty: Brass | Richardson | 0:59 |
| 8 | My Story | Richardson & Bowers | 1:13 |
| 9 | American Dream | Richardson & Bowers | 0:57 |
| 10 | My Son | Richardson & Bowers | 0:51 |
| 11 | The Test | Richardson & Bowers | 1:54 |
| 12 | All These Years | Richardson & Bowers | 1:29 |
| 13 | Duane: Woodwinds | Richardson & Bowers | 0:56 |
| 14 | Frankenstein | Richardson | 0:31 |
| 15 | Swap Meet | Richardson | 1:04 |
| 16 | Dream a Little | Richardson | 0:36 |
| 17 | Steve: Pianos | Richardson & Bowers | 2:13 |
| 18 | Baku, 1987 | Richardson & Bowers | 1:46 |
| 19 | We Left Everything | Richardson & Bowers | 1:26 |
| 20 | See How Life Is? | Richardson & Bowers | 2:02 |
| 21 | I Love the Violin | Richardson | 2:02 |
| 22 | The Alumni | Bowers | 3:45 |
Where to Stream The Last Repair Shop
You can stream The Last Repair Shop on Disney+, where it became available on January 23, 2024, or watch it for free on the Los Angeles Times’ official YouTube channel, where it has been posted since November 8, 2023. The soundtrack itself is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Who’s Featured in The Last Repair Shop?
The documentary profiles four Los Angeles Unified School District instrument repair technicians: Dana Atkinson (strings), Paty Moreno (brass), Duane Michaels (woodwinds), and Steve Bagmanyan (pianos), along with student violinist Porché Brinker, who joined Proudfoot and Bowers on stage when the film won its Academy Award.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for The Last Repair Shop?
Katya Richardson composed the film’s original score, with additional themes contributed by co-director Kris Bowers, who is also known for scoring Green Book, King Richard, and Bridgerton.
Did The Last Repair Shop win an Oscar?
Yes. The Last Repair Shop won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards on March 10, 2024.
Where can I watch The Last Repair Shop?
The Last Repair Shop is streaming on Disney+ and is also available to watch for free on the Los Angeles Times’ official YouTube channel.
What is The Last Repair Shop about?
It’s a documentary short that profiles the craftspeople who repair musical instruments for Los Angeles public school students free of charge, and the students whose lives have been changed by access to music education.
Is The Last Repair Shop soundtrack available to stream?
Yes, the original score by Katya Richardson and Kris Bowers is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Related reading: Explore more movie soundtracks, browse what’s streaming on Disney+, or check out our full streaming guide.