Music in Prisons
I have been blessed to be a musician and to make my living doing something rewarding and fulfilling. Often my audience is made up of people of privilege, but recently I have been visiting prisons in Oregon, and the experiences have been profound and unforgettable. The first place was Coffee Creek, a women’s prison In Wilsonville, and I went there with five string students from Portland State University, where I have been teaching for 42 years. We played for 50 women, and a few months later, the six of us went to Columbia River, a men’s prison in Portland. After we performed, some of the inmates sang and shared poetry with us, and it was an inspiring and meaningful afternoon. In August I played solo Bach at Two Rivers in eastern Oregon, where I again talked about the music and answered any questions that arose. The last piece I played was Casals’ signature piece “Song of the Birds”, and one of the inmates raised his hand after I played, speaking with great emotion about hearing Pablo Casals perform live in San Juan in 1961. He was in tears recalling Casals’ own performance of Song of the Birds. Another man told me that the 90 minute evening reminded him of the scene in “Shawsank Redeption” which involved a Mozart duet being played over the prison P.A. and bringing the men out of their grim world for a few minutes. My feeling is that this activity is truly SICA, and I hope to do this kind of thing as often as possible.
What a great gift you are sharing with the prison inmates and the world!
Lovely. Making hearts happy and providing wonder-filled memories that will stay with these folks is truly loving. Thank you, Hamilton.
Thanks for sharing some hope in the world in this dark time.
Clearly action arising from a love of all mankind. Positive behaviors create positive energies that propagate into the general consciousness of the prison and beyond. Congratulations to you and your students for these acts of kindness and generosity
It’s wonderful to read your story of these performances. Thanks for taking the time to write it for us.
Hamilton, thanks for sharing your music in the prisons, and for sharing this beautiful story.
And then there was Johnny Cash performing famously in Folsom Prison. You’re right up them with him and others. Given the notable mistreatment of other human beings in the world today, your work is especially inspiring and needed. Thank you, Hamilton. Blessings, Ren Ruslan
Thank You for this inspiring story demonstrating possibilities for all of us.
What a fine example you are to your students.
Wonderful gift for everybody. Blessings.
I am so glad to hear of the wonderful gift of music given to folks who are so much in need of kindness and inspiration. It truly brought tears to my eyes as I imagined you playing in the rich and wonderful way you play and many folks who have lived with so much hurt and trauma receiving your music. I also was so glad to hear that you have taken students and planted the seeds of what music can do and the value of sharing our gifts with all humans.
I was so moved by your article as I imagined the inmates hearing your beautiful music. I was also so glad to hear that you have taken students and planted the seeds of sharing music in places that truly need the inspiration and healing music can bring. Lusijah
Thank you.
For me, the expression of innate talent IS worship.
Do what you love what you do .
Thank you so much, Hamilton. I sing with the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir and we sing annually for our local County Jail. Inmates are usually clapping and many are moved by the music, especially when in the women’s dorms where we can see some crying. When we sang at Pelican Bay Prison, some of the inmates also sang their own songs and we we able to speak with them about their lives. Many blessings to you!!
What a gift you are bringing to these inmates. Who knows who may have been opened by the experience. I remember hearing that Bapak has said that a person could be opened by even the most minimal contact such as passing someone on the street. How much more likely when exposed to the beauty of music. Music is truly a language of the soul. Thank you for sharing your gifts.
Thanks Hamilton. I’ve been visiting my son Brian in prison for the past three years. He often tells me of inspiring people among his fellow inmates. Family visits are in a large
room so I’ve seen and met some of them. There are scholars, poets and artists and many good hearted people, a few who are innocent and some who have made serious mistakes in their lives. I’ve also met many considerate, helpful guards. I like spending time there, and I feel I benefit from the experience. I am delighted to hear that you share your sublime artistry with prison inmates.
Hamilton, thank you. Bravo. Your story of visiting the inmates of prisons is touching to the heart and inspiring. While they hear your music it must relieve them of the bleakness of their situation. Wonderful idea. As someone lucky enough to have heard your concerts here and the uplifting feelings engendered by the music, I can relate to what they feel, as well. Abraham
How beautiful Hamilton to share the joy of music with people in prison. Thank you for doing this and sharing your experience. Indeed this is the content of SICA.
Thank you for sharing, Hamilton! What a gift to offer some of the most down-trodden among us.