Music Opens Doorway to Opportunity for Incarcerated Youth

All these unheard voices
Please let them be heard

These are lyrics from a song called “Unheard Voices,” written by “C.T.,” a young person at Butler Treatment Center in Massachusetts. It was written for the Unsung songwriting competition, where incarcerated youth write and produce their own music.

It’s part of BreakFree Education, an organization which partners with juvenile justice agencies across the nation to offer educational programs. Now, thanks to a partnership with Berklee Online, more and more incarcerated youth are being given the chance to connect their love of music to education while earning college credit.

“Music is the universal language. Melody speaks to all humans, rhythm speaks to everyone on the planet. Music takes you out of your circumstances of life,” said Sean Slade, a music producer and associate professor in the Music Production and Engineering Department at Berklee College of Music. Slade has produced albums with Radiohead, Hole, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Lou Reed, and other artists.

Berklee Online, with BreakFree and the Department of Youth Services in Massachusetts, California, Texas and Missouri, offers students aged 13 through 19 twelve-week, synchronous and asynchronous educational classes on music production analysis, songwriting, and more, all at no cost for the students who earn three college level credits upon completion. The program is now available in almost 30 juvenile justice agencies and serves over 80 students.

Michael Moyes, chief operating officer and associate vice president of enrollment strategy and marketing, pre-college, online and professional programs at Berklee's Pre-College, Online, and Professional Programs Division.Michael Moyes, chief operating officer and associate vice president of enrollment strategy and marketing, pre-college, online and professional programs at Berklee, originally connected with BreakFree to teach music to incarcerated students.

“I would listen to different songs kids would produce, go over their lyrics, and give comments,” said Moyes. “I was just blown away by not just the talent but the passion, what people had to say.”

The partnership between Berklee Online and BreakFree began and grew from there. The program works because music, said Moyes, can be just the hook that’s needed to get students excited about an education.

“If you’ve had a bad educational experience, you might have complete mistrust in formal learning. Music is a discipline that can bridge the gap, can show kids and adults they have the ability to do amazing things, and can be a gateway to other types of learning,” said Moyes.

It’s also a big boost to the students’ self-esteem.

“I’ve had moments in my life where I didn’t think I was intelligent, and then people and experiences along the way challenged that notion. I’ve seen music do that in so many different ways in my life and with students,” said Moyes.

Whether or not Berklee professors were present, the students would be writing and listening to music anyway, said Moyes. These classes offer a chance to formalize the creative experience and offer direction.

“Students are getting validation from a Berklee faculty member who’s produced hundreds of professional artists out there, in some cases our professors have won a lot of notable awards and know people who are heroes to those kids,” said Moyes. “Getting validation from someone like that can be lifechanging.”

Slade, who has been teaching music online since 2015, said he and other teachers who work in carceral settings have to go through a training process to understand the day-to-day realities of their students and the rules established at each justice center.

“It was a real eye-opener. I learned a lot,” said Slade. “It’s an intense, volatile situation. They are kids, confined, and sometimes tempers flare. But for a variety of reasons, the students really look forward to the class.”

Students are not allowed to turn on their cameras, Slade said, but they are able to use the chat box and microphones to ask and answer questions. Working behind the scenes are tutors who help students access their class, stay focused, and execute assignments.

“It’s a group effort,” said Slade.

Moyes said it was critical that professors be aware of their students’ situation, but also ensure incarcerated students experience the classroom as if they were any other student.

“Things happen that are out of their control. Something happens on their floor, or they might lose internet for a week. I wanted to make sure the students wouldn’t be penalized, and that they would be integrated,” said Moyes.

Slade said that, as much as he teaches his students about music history and new vocabulary to describe the music they hear, his incarcerated students are keeping him abreast of the very latest hits in the music scene, introducing him to brand new Chicago Drill artists and country hip-hop, soon to be popularized by Beyonce.

For Moyes, it’s all about giving students a chance to do something special, and to make their love of music more than just a pipe dream.

“Getting a record deal isn’t the end goal,” said Moyes. “Seeing other musicians talk about how music ignited a life of passion, it’s something that can really change the perspective of what it means to value the art.”

You can hear C.T.’s “Unheard Voices” here, and another song from the Unsung competition, “R3M3MB3R,” by K.J.C. from Grayson County Post in Texas.

Liann Herder can be reached at [email protected].