San Quinten

Music can become a legacy and a path to transformation. I know I am not the first person to bring music into prisons. Of course, Johnny Cash paved the way by bringing his music behind bars in San Quentin and by recording Folsom Prison Blues. But I have wondered to myself, what impact would it have if inmates had the chance to tell their own stories through music. Because everyone has a story, and everyone has a voice.

Rabbi Paul Shleffar, the Jewish Chaplain at San Quentin, expressed what many have witnessed: “I have been watching Essence and crew work with the incarcerated folks here with great interest. I see interested and engaged students, and perhaps more importantly I am seeing profound growth, introspection, and healing among the participants. The songs and stories as coaxed out by Essence are so incredibly moving. It would seem that music really does heal; this work really is worth supporting.”

The path that led to this program began with moments that felt guided. A recent parolee from San Quentin started taking music lessons with me and shared stories of the talent and heart inside those walls. Soon after, I saw a message from someone hoping to donate an electric guitar to San Quentin. I responded, and that single act opened the door to an opportunity to volunteer inside the chapel under the guidance of Rabbi Shleffar. The workshop that followed revealed something undeniable. The men were engaged, expressive, and ready to step into something deeper. The seeds for a full program took root that day.

For nearly ten months, Believe Music Heals, the resident Rabbi, the program coordinator, and the warden worked together to bring a new offering to life. The result was the approval of a 20-week music program for fifteen participants, beginning in late 2024 and continuing through 2025. The intention was simple: offer a space for healing, growth, and self-expression through music.

The program begins with a beginning class. Many participants arrive having never sung in front of someone else or never written a lyric. In these early weeks, breath work, intention setting, and foundational vocal practice help them reconnect with presence and inner steadiness. We explore tone, range, accuracy, and the honesty that comes from singing with an open heart. Instruments are distributed so everyone has their own guitar or ukulele. From there, chords, strumming patterns, fingerpicking, and basic music theory begin to unfold.

Alongside these skills, the beginning class explores writing. We study the work of poets, authors, and legendary songwriters. Participants choose songs to sing for the group, and weekly open-mic sessions offer an invitation to step into visibility. These sessions often become the moments where confidence awakens and where men begin to find their voice again after years of silence.

From this foundation, the advanced class emerges. This group deepens their craft with greater precision and emotional clarity. They explore structure, melodic development, harmonic movement, and the ability to shape a story through song. The work becomes both introspective and expressive. Many begin writing from a place of reflection and truth. Themes of forgiveness, gratitude, healing, and life lessons rise naturally. Some men write their stories alone, while others choose to collaborate. The room becomes a circle of trust where creativity becomes a vessel for transformation.

As the weeks unfold, these songs gather into a collective body of work. When both classes reach the later stages of the program, professional musicians and engineers join us with portable recording gear to begin capturing the songs. The goal is an album that reflects the depth, courage, and evolution of the participants. It is more than a project. It is a record of who they are becoming.

Believe Music Heals was founded two years ago with the intention of bringing healing through music to those who need it most. The mission is to offer peace and hope during times of hardship by using music as a path for expression, creativity, and personal transformation. The San Quentin program is a living expression of that mission.