Four high school teens are thrown into detention after a fight come together of their love for music and songwriting. However, their newfound bond is brought to a halt by the harsh reality of the world they come from.

A 17-year-old kid from South Chicago coexists with his selfish foster mother. On his way to school with his best friend, they discover something that will change their lives forever.

In 1980s Brooklyn, a resilient family, evicted from public housing, refuses to succumb to homelessness or welfare. Instead, they construct their own home-one scrap of discarded wood at a time.