This article was published on March 27th, 2021

The song debuted last December in the critically lauded special AFTER FOREVER: Riley’s Unforgettable School Project on Amazon Prime from creators Michael Slade and Kevin Spirtas. As fans of the young musical theatre phenom Finn Douglas, the duo came up with the idea of composing ‘Forever There’, an original song specifically for his character to sing, which has now been submitted for Emmy consideration.  

Both the song and project serve as a tribute to the memory of Michael Slade, who lost his three-year battle with cancer only a few days before the special premiered. A stand-alone feature, Riley’s Unforgettable School Project is a special shot in a documentary-style that is based on the characters in After Forever. The series tells the story of Brian Stone and his network of friends and family as they attempt to move on after the passing of his husband Jason from cancer. 

Finn Douglas plays Riley, an 11-year old who must participate in distance learning because of COVID-19 and must come up with a project about the msot unforgettable person he’s ever encountered. Once he decides on Jason as his inspiration, he rallies the group together and asks them all three questions on why they believe Jason was impossible to forget. In the feature, Douglas displays his many talents as a composer, instrumentalist, and vocalist. 

Forever There is a song about contemplating one’s mortality and what a scary, unpredictable, yet inevitable trip it is. Robb Padgett, Riley’s Unforgettable School Project editor, had this to say about the experience of filming the music video:

“I wanted to create a music video that would not only feature the incredible talents of Finn as a consummate musician, but also tell the story of why this boy is singing this incredibly deep and touching song about the loss he is experiencing.”

After Forever the series – seasons 1 & 2, and After Forever: Riley’s Unforgettable School Project, are both streaming now on Amazon Prime. Spirtas appears in the special, along with Mitchell Anderson, David Dean Bottrell, Erin Cherry, Anita Gillette, Cady Huffman and more.

The single is now available on all music platforms including iTunes and Apple Music. 

iTunes | Apple Music | Website

Watch Forever There music video