Music Soothes the Savage Soul by Donna McCarthy

It was 1968, inside the walls of Folsom Prison, you could hear the raw voice of Johnny Cash singing his infamous lyrics  “I hear the train a comin', It's rolling round the bend, And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when, I'm stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin' on…”.  That day, the Folsom prisoners had an hour or so to escape their monotonous lives and drift away into the powerful world of music.

Music is like a drug that can take you to different places and set your mind free.  If you’re behind prison bars, this is a great way to soften your heart and find redemption. Studies have shown that music can change one’s mood, stimulate brain function and lower stress. 

Jail Guitar Doors (JGD), a non-profit organization, out of Los Angeles, California, was born in 2009.  Founders, former prison music instructor Thomas Tedesco and prison arts rehabilitation advocate Wayne Kramer believe that music can change an inmate for the better.

“I saw inmates change as they learned how to play together,” said Tedesco in a Loyola Marymount University interview.  “They had to listen to one another; they had to work together to achieve a common goal.”

Jail Guitar Doors are in over 40 prisons in America.  Their mission is to provide instruments and assist with programs such as songwriting workshops. Kramer has worked endlessly to find funding and has looked for governmental support for arts-in-correction programs.   

Kramer said that change to improve the prison system will be slow, but there is hope for the future through increased awareness of the prison system’s problems and support for rehabilitation.

Inside and outside of the prison, Kramer has produced out-reach events and programs that bring in musical instruments and awareness for prison reform issues.  He would like everyone to understand that rehabilitation through music is a successful way for a prisoner to adapt back into society after imprisonment.

 

“The opportunity to be creative can completely change [prisoners’] lives. If we had more art in our society, our society would be less violent and oppressive,” said Tedesco in a Loyola Marymount University interview.

Once back into society, the ex-prisoner will have the ability to express himself/herself through music.  When overwhelmed with everyday life, they can pick up that guitar and take their minds to a better place.  Eddy Byrd, a retired factory worker and musician, has been playing guitar for the last 70 years.  “Playing guitar has been good company when I’m by myself.  I feel satisfied and comforted when playing.  It’s a way for me to express the way I feel”, he said.  Like Eddy, ex-prisoners can find the same comfort and keep their minds on the right path so they don’t turn back to crime. 

As of today, most prisons are overcrowded.  The L.A. Times predicts that prisons will only increase over time.  

Johnny Cash might not have started prison reform through music but for one 20 year old, San Quentin inmate, witnessing Cash’s concert made a big impact on him.  Not only was he rehabilitated, but went on to becoming one of country music’s greatest legends, Merle Haggard.  This is one inspirational example how music can soothe the savage soul!