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| Music
in Irish Prisons |
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Music classes cover a
variety of styles such as rock, pop, balled and classical. Instruments
taught include acoustic, electric and bass guitar, keyboard, banjo,
mandolin and tin whistle. Students can avail of practical and theory
examinations certified by the Royal Irish Academy of Music. There is
also a Music Appreciation course certified by FETAC.
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Students of the music
classes regularly stage school concerts where they perform a mixture of
their own material and that of other artists. They also assist in
providing the music for prison drama productions. A number of music
classes have recording studio where students recordings in the past were
put onto tapes and in more recent times are put onto CDs. Recordings and
productions have been enhanced with the introduction of computers with
specialized music and video editing software. On occasions, compilations
of students songs are produced for resale and the proceeds of the sales
go to charity and caring organizations.
LC, Mountjoy, Ireland |
Tape, Mountjoy, 1992 |
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Gamelan Workshops |
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Good Vibrations, part of the Firebird Trust,
runs gamelan (Indonesian percussion) workshops in UK prisons and secure
hospitals, with the aim of helping people develop their team-working
and communication skills. Gamelan is particularly good at this as it’s
very accessible - you don’t need any prior
musical experience - and it
is very communal - there
is no overall leader or conductor,
everyone’s part is equally important and the
music only works by everyone listening to everyone else to fit their own
part in.
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Groups learn traditional Indonesian
music, as well as devising their own group compositions and group
improvisations. A Good Vibrations project
typically runs as a weeklong residency for a group of around 15-20
prisoners. Most will not have done anything musical before. Up to half
may never have taken part in prison education. At the end of the week,
they perform in front of an audience of their peers, prison staff and,
occasionally, family and visitors from outside the prison. Each
performance is recorded and a CD produced, a copy of which is given to
everyone who has taken part.
Three prisons, the Wolds, Brixton and
Peterborough, currently have their own set of gamelan
instruments, facilitated by Good Vibrations. This enables them to
host more regular sessions over a longer timeframe. |
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“Good Vibrations gets prisoners into the
education department, many of whom would never have considered enrolling
on 'basic maths or English', and as such, for many of those who
participate, the project acts as a gateway to other learning.”
- Professor David Wilson, University of
Central England. - Cathy Eastburn,
Project Director,
UK
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Images by Camilla
Panufnik |
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Angels In The Wings |
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‘Angles in the Wings’, a music CD and DVD of
songs composed in the Training Unit Education Centre, was launched in
2007. These original compositions are performed by students and
accompanied by fellow students and guest musicians, under the
stewardship of music teacher, Gerry Hendrick. |
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Proceeds from the sale of
this CD are to go to the Children of Barretstown. Backed by the
medical world, Barretstown is a specially designed camp which
provides challenging activity-based programmes for children affected by
cancer and other serious illness and their families. These programmes
are designed to re-build confidence, self-esteem, trust and courage, in
a safe, fun and supportive environment (see
www.barretstown.org
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Two songs from this CD, namely Work it
Out and Help Me Please, can be downloaded and listened to on
the Song List page. GH,
Training Unit, Ireland |
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Drag-on |
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"When
I hear myself on a real cd it touches me. When I can show this to
others, especially friends and family, I feel that I'm someone.”
– detainee, Individual Special Care Unit, PI Vught prison, Holland.
‘Drag-on’
is the title of the cd which was recorded in the Individual Special Care
Unit of PI Vught prison in Holland. The people who stay there suffer
from mental disorders and are therefore ‘patients’. Their stay can be
short or long and their period of stay is used to help them
re-socialise. |
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One of
the art activities is music education which mostly acts as a form of
therapy. In music activities patients are coached and inspired by a
teacher named Leon van den Akker. The patients give expression to life
behind walls. They do that in their own authentic manner and are not
held back by how it sounds. Trying out, discovering, shifting borders
and finding out what you can is what it's all about in the music studio. |
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Leon
works mostly on an individual basis and sometimes in small groups. The
participants look forward to the music lessons. Some of them already
have a feeling for music; others become enthusiast and recapture or
raise their self-esteem. It's not only 'producing music' that happens in
these therapy sessions. Rhythm, perseverance, making choices, working
cooperatively, adaptability and in particular good listening are
important parts. There is a lot to learn. ‘Drag-on’ is a selection of
the music these groups produced. It covers a wide range of music which
Leon has recorded between 2003 and 2006. Sample tracks from this cd are
on the song-list page of this site. Listen and enjoy.
Legs Boelen, Arts Co-ordinator, P.I.Vught prison, Holland. |
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'Music
in prison and freedom' in Norway |
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"Music
in prison and freedom” was founded in Oslo in 1991. It began as
collaboration between the recreational coordinator at Bredtveit Prison
and Detention Centre, Bente Hagesæther Scheel, and music therapist Venja
Ruud Nielsen. Inmates were given the opportunity to both play and learn
guitar and piano. The service and opportunity offered was warmly
received and was later granted financial support (MVO) by the Norwegian
Association of Music. As a result of the funding the project leaders
could provide instruments such as guitars, drum kit, amplifiers and
microphones for the music groups both in prison and on the outside.
”Music in prison and freedom” (MIFF) has developed through the years to
include ten prisons nationally: Bredtveit Prison and Detention Centre,
Bergen Prison, Trondheim Prison, Ila Prison and Detention Centre, Oslo
Prison, Tromsø Prison, Hustad Prison, Sem Prison, Hamar Prison and
Gjøvik Prison.
Today,
(MIFF) is also part of Grønland voksenopplæring (Grønland Adult
Education Centre) and Musikkens studieforbund. Grønland voksenopplæring
currently has a full time position at both Oslo Prison and Bredveit
Prison and Detention Centre.
”Music
in prison and freedom” consists of three principle steps:
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Inmates are offered to join music groups in prison
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Once
free, the former inmates are offered to play in bands
supervised by a music teacher or music therapist
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Engaging in music activities becomes an independent
recreational interest
The
main goal of the service is:
“To
equip the individual with skills which will enable him or her to master
their every day life and leisure time after being released.”
MIFF is
organised as part of a wider college education. The college, Grønland
voksenopplæring, is responsible for all the educational training within
The Norwegian Correctional Service. MIFF is offered as an optional
subject, which can form part of a basic course in music, dance and or as
a part of art subjects. The Norwegian Music Assosiation/Norsk
Studieforbund aim to contribute to the development of similar services
to MIFF at more prisons in Norway. The responsibility of carrying out
further development of MIFF or equivalent services belongs to the Music
Associations within the counties. MIFF is already up and running in ten
prisons nationally, and several other prisons have expressed an
interest. The Ministry of Justice and the County Governor of Hordaland
support the project financially. Despite so much interest, securing the
project financially remains a major concern. We aspire to see MIFF as
being a part of all six regions where The Norwegian Correctional
Service is represented.
For further information,
please contact:
Bente Mari Mortensen:
bentemari.mortensen@vo-gronland.oslo.no
Venja Ruud Nilsen:
venja.nilsen@musikk.no
Article submitted by Bente Myhre Hansen,
Grønland Adult
Learning Centre, Oslo, Norway |
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