Michael's Music - Instruments Into Prisons
In collaboration with Die Jim Crow Records
A visit to Sterling Correctional Facility to introduce musician Michael Tenneson who runs a resident-led music program in Sterling, Colorado. Resident-led arts programs like the one Michael is in charge of are a rare occurrence in correctional facilities in the United States, but Michael hopes that one day his efforts might help change that reality.
Instruments Into Prisons is a campaign launched by Die Jim Crow Records (DJC) and the UNION OF MUSICIANS AND ALLIED WORKERS (UMAW) in 2021 to support incarcerated musicians. Michael is one of the musicians supported by their gear drive, and the instruments used in his classes were provided by donations through IIP.
There is a weight to prisons that is hard to fathom until it is experienced. The walls, the doors, the furniture, the sound of footsteps, everything is so much heavier, designed to withstand and repel. The anticipation of abuse is omnipresent. Visiting Michael inside of Sterling allowed me to see and document how he operates inside of that environment, how he uses music to help transcend his surroundings, and how he aims to extend this opportunity to his fellow residents.
