Life’s a Melody: Reflections on a Summer of Residencies

What does dignity sound like?

This summer, Project: Music Heals Us asked that question across three powerful Music for the Future residencies: at Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, the Jericho Project in Brisbane, and Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail. Nevada State Poet Laureate Shaun Griffin captured one residency at Southern Desert Correctional Center experience for his radio series A Writer’s World and through this episode we witnessed once again how music can transform even the most isolated places into spaces of hope, collaboration, and expression.

Each residency invited incarcerated students to write, compose, and perform original works inspired by Amanda Gorman’s The Hill We Climb. Guided by PMHU Program Manager Dana Martin, Teaching Artist Ben Grow, and Program Coordinator Jenn O’Brien, with creative writing facilitator Vera Miranda helping to set the foundation, participants found their voices in song and poetry. Over the course of just a few days, libraries and classrooms became studios for possibility.

Why Songwriting Matters

“Songwriting is such an accessible — and powerful — tool for self-expression,” Dana reflects. “With the right support, anyone can write a song. Our students are able to translate what they’re feeling and experiencing into music through composition and lyric writing. It is incredibly moving to help nurture a creative idea and guide students in finding their own voices through song.”

She describes songwriting as a safe space for truth-telling: “It creates a space for vulnerability and for being heard. The majority of our students are incarcerated; they’re often overlooked, forgotten, judged, dehumanized. In our residencies, music provides a chance to escape into a world that is rich and beautiful.”

Lessons from This Summer

For Dana, this summer’s residencies marked an opportunity to grow as both an educator and leader. Together We Climb, the residency project rooted in Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem, unfolded across three facilities, each responding in unique ways.

 

“Building this project has been both exciting and uncharted territory,” she says. “As an artist, I feel energized by what we’ve created so far, while also trusting the collaborative process. As an educator, I want our students to feel inspired, supported, and given the tools they need for music-making, self-expression, and vulnerability. This summer has reminded me to celebrate students in the moment rather than worry too much about the final outcome.”

As Program Leader, she adds, the work also requires balance: “One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that it’s okay to acknowledge limits. I’m deepening my understanding of how to hold space for others while maintaining my own emotional boundaries.”

Common Threads

Amanda Gorman’s words resonated across all three residencies. “Many students were struck by the repeated and deliberate use of ‘we,’ while others reflected on her imagery of light and shade,” Dana recalls. “Several drew parallels to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream.’”

Lines that echoed most powerfully included:
“That even as we grieved, we grew,
That even as we hurt, we hoped,
That even as we tired, we tried.
That we’ll forever be tied together.”

and

“If we merge mercy with might, and might with right,
Then love becomes our legacy,
And change, our children’s birthright.”

From these conversations, participants wove new works of their own — testaments to resilience, hope, and the enduring power of collective creativity.

What It Takes

“Our teams of musicians and teaching artists are extraordinary artists and extraordinary humans,” Dana says. “We seek to shine light in very dark places. Jails and prisons are difficult to access and are, by nature, harsh environments. We go in order to support and uplift the people who live and work there. This work requires a personal commitment to authenticity and non-judgment, as well as patience, flexibility, and grace.”

She continues: “Our students yearn to be seen and to be heard, and we create space for them to bring something personal, unique, and beautiful into the world. We restore dignity and humanity by providing music and the creative process as tools for expression to those who need them most. As an artist and as a human being, what could be a more important endeavor?”

Looking Ahead

The summer of residencies revealed something simple but profound: that even in isolation, the human spirit reaches toward expression. Through song and poetry, incarcerated students across California found connection, truth, and possibility.

We are grateful to California Women’s Facility , the Jericho Project, Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail as well as the many team members and musicians who made this summer possible. And we are especially thankful to our community of supporters, who ensure that Music for the Future continues to bring creativity, hope, and dignity to those who need it most.

🎧 Listen to Shaun Griffin’s reflections on our Southern Desert residency in his series A Writer’s World: Listen Here