For Your Library

Abstract

Mary Cohen and Stuart Duncan offer a fascinating book in Music-Making in U.S. Prisons: Listening to Incarcerated Voices. I was drawn in by book’s cover, with its bold and bright colors from the painting Jazz Band by artist Jason Chengrian. An overwhelming number of midtwentieth-century prison wardens and other officials in the United States were powerful proponents of music education programs within their facilities. For instance, at a strict reform school in Morganza, Pennsylvania, music supervisor Vetold Sporny taught choral music to prisoners under the age of twentyone. In the early 1940s, for the purpose of deciding what type of music educational opportunities could succeed in prison, Sporny asked for suggestions from various institutions across twentyfour states. Cohen and Duncan found it intriguing that Sporny prioritized vocal groups over instrumental ensembles. He also advocated for community singing as “one means for those in custody to gather as a community” (p. 50). The authors note that many of such music programs offered opportunities for prisoners to establish connections with the community, especially when they performed in public gatherings. The part of the research that most speaks to me is found in Cohen’s ins ight fu l in teract ions wi th the Oakdale Choir, called “The Insiders and Outsiders.” Using Stephen King’s memoir On Writing, Cohen developed a technique to enable choir members to create deeper and more open relations with fellow incarcerated people and their family members. He did this by using the writing prompts in King’s book for reflective writing exercises that were exchanged between the prisoners or used to introduce songs at rehearsals. I was also impressed by the program started by Duncan during his time as a teacher of an appreciation class at an adult correctional facility, where he used a unique form of assessment: He established a one-to-one grading contract with each incarcerated student, thereby empowering them through negotiation rather than conflict. This, he said, is a way to flip the power dynamic on its head. With Duncan’s approach, the students played a role in determining their grade points and took responsibility for their learning. The primary argument made by Cohen and Duncan throughout the book is that the rise of the prison industrial complex along with mass incarceration in the United States strips individuals in custodial care of their self-esteem. Current American prisons use numbers instead of names in reference to prisoners, and there are many cages inside most of these institutions, giving them the look of warehouses. Twenty-first-century prisons are a shift away from earlier ones, in which music-making was a regular practice. Early research shows how the applied music instruction of both Cohen and Duncan have been impactful on the lives of the incarcerated, although music doesn’t heal all the harms that this population suffers. I would give this book a rating of five out of five. Ideas are logically presented, and the authors’ views are backed by credible research. There is also an excellent introduction: The authors do not assume that all readers are music educators and that some may come from disciplines such as criminal justice and correctional systems, psychology, psychiatry, and even peace building. The theme of this book especially resonates with me because of my academic background in behavioral health. The book also encourages readers to consciously “de-label” individuals in custody by paying attention to the language we use. By adopting peoplecentered language, they help create awareness of the situation in which these individuals find themselves. The authors discourage the use of words like felons, inmates, or criminals when referring to the incarcerated. I would recommend this book first to family members who have loved ones who are incarcerated or in custody. Furthermore, I strongly recommend this book to arts instructors who desire to be agents of change. Last, I recommend it to anyone working for positive and transformative changes, such as researchers. The book is also recommended to formerly incarcerated individuals so that they may be equipped to create collaborative communities.