The Songwriting Project closes the loop for the OpporTUNEity program as the funds generated both support the project inside the jail and helps underwrite the expenses of our partnership with schools.

Partnerships

Worcester County Sheriffs office (MA)

Hampshire County sheriffs office (MA)

Franklin County sheriffs office (MA)

Established

September, 2018

January, 2023

Team

Melissa Martiros

Dan Thomas

Thomas Wilson

John Wayne Cormier

Paul Boisvert

Aeden madden

Jared Cruz

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In each institution, we teach up to three 12-week songwriting sessions twice a year (coinciding with the academic semester) and in the summer as requested. Our first class focuses on lyric writing while the second and third focus on learning to read and understand music and developing skills on various instruments. An incentive based program, each session ends with a concert when students perform, for select friends and family, the works they've created during the course.

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Along with providing music education to incarcerated persons, we also employ the help of student interns from a local college, providing invaluable real-world experience in fields related to music education, music therapy, and performance. As an added bonus, our work with the jails helps us to facilitate access to music education for children in underserved communities in the region. As an example, all fees collected from Worcester County House of Corrections pay for the Songwriting Project offered to the inmates and the bus transportation provided to all OpporTUNEity children in Worcester.

Correctional Facility Objectives:

1.

INCENTIVIZE. Establish a product inmates desire to be a part of such that they are driven to avoid activities between meeting times that could result in a loss of the privilege.

2.

ENGAGE. Strengthen engagement and capacities of students by using innovative, music-based teaching and learning strategies that encourage active participation amongst incarcerated adults in our partnering facilities.

3.

COLLABORATE. Utilize music as an educational tool for improving and building civic understanding, personal responsibility, collaboration, and group decision making throughout 12-week experience.

4.

REHABILITATE. Provide students with tools to process past and future emotions and experiences in a healthy, musical, productive, and socially responsible way.