Fifty members of the Ohio Orchestra recently performed a “Patriotic Pops” show for an unexpected audience: inmates at the local jail.
Lima Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Elizabeth Brown-Ellis told Fox News Digital in an email that preparing for the June 30 performance was actually years of hard work.
“The Lima Symphony Orchestra began the Healing Through Music program in 2018,” he said. “The original goal was to bring the healing power of music to people struggling with addiction. mental health.,
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Brown-Ellis said the June 30 performance was the first time a full orchestra had been allowed to perform in an Ohio prison, and possibly the first time such a thing had happened anywhere in the US.
The orchestra originally played in area hospitals and shelters. It Lima, Ohio,
Elizabeth Brown-Ellis, standing on the right, told Fox News Digital that the orchestra’s performance at the prison was the culmination of many years of hard work. (Modo Media)
Shortly after the music healing program began, a priest A spokesperson for Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution (AOCI) contacted Brown-Ellis and asked that the program be started at the prison as well.
Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution is a mixed-security prison located in Lima that houses about 1,400 male inmates. He said the prison complex is “essentially two separate facilities on one campus.”
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Since 2018, members of the orchestra, though not the entire orchestra, have “performed dozens of times” at the facility, Brown-Ellis said.
“We started with string quartets, but now we’re hosting cello soloists, brass ensembles for the holidays, and woodwind groups,” he said. “We purchased a 40-piece drum set and regularly host drumming circles in both facilities, keeping inmates involved in the creative process.”
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He said that shortly after the Lima Symphony Orchestra began visiting the prison, “we had a dream of bringing the whole orchestra to AOCI.”
In February 2020, plans were beginning to take shape for “Full Orchestra’ Patriotic Pops, “Performance” was expected to improve in July – but the Covid-19 pandemic derailed that.
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Finally, three years later, in October 2023, the Lima Symphony Orchestra and AOCI began discussing the performance once again. The plan was to bring 50 musicians to perform One-hour concertHe said.
“Our sound man used equipment already present in the prison and two inmates worked with him to run the sound,” he said.
Although the Lima Symphony Orchestra has been doing small performances at Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution, the June 30 event was the first time the full orchestra was present at the prison. (Modo Media)
He said, “This performance was largely a repeat of our other two ‘Patriotic Pops’ events that weekend, with a few notable exceptions.”
The first of these pieces was a musical called “Halls of Justice”, composed by a former AOCI inmate named Kevin Kohler.
Kohler was released on parole in 2021 after serving 18 years of his sentence.
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“On the third anniversary of Kevin’s parole, he was able to return to AOCI as a guest to hear the premiere of his program,” Brown-Ellis said.
He said another difference was the group music at the end of the program.
The Lima Symphony Orchestra was joined by “AOCI’s 100-member male chorus, who sang ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic’ As played by our orchestra musicians.
“We want people on the outside to see us as human beings. We love music just like they do. It inspires us. It uplifts us.”
One of those singers, Jeff Hawkins, shed light on his experience in a statement provided by the Lima Symphony Orchestra.
“We want people outside to see us as human beings. We love music just like them. It inspires us. It uplifts us,” he added.
Brown-Ellis said organizing the concert was “no easy task.” It required “multiple levels of approval” from prison officials and the Ohio Department of Corrections.
A group of 100 men from the prison joined the Lima Symphony Orchestra to perform “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” at the end of the “Patriotic Pops” program. (Modo Media)
“Everyone had to go through a background check and sign a media release form,” Brown-Ellis said, “and more.”
“We also had to prepare a list of everything that came into the prison – every piece of music, every instrument and case etc. It was all pre-approved.”
Additionally, there were “multiple meetings to discuss rules and protocols” regarding the performance, and the Lima Symphony Orchestra had to adhere to “very strict guidelines” about what could be filmed or recorded from the performance.
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“There was a lot of hard work on our part, but I know the Ohio Department of Corrections (ODC) made a real effort to make this historic event happen,” Brown-Ellis said.
Brown-Ellis said he is hopeful the Lima Symphony Orchestra will be able to return to AOCI — but that is not up to him. “We have begun discussing plans for next year, but the decision will be made by ODC personnel,” he said.
In the meantime, the Lima Symphony Orchestra will continue its small group performances, he said.
It is hoped that the orchestra will be allowed to perform at the prison again in the future. (Modo Media)
“People often comment on how lucky inmates are that we bring music into prison,” Brown-Ellis said.
He said he disagreed — instead, he said, “We got lucky.”
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He added, “Every musician who has performed at AOCI, whether as part of a full-orchestra performance or with choral groups, has told me how the experience has changed them. This is the most meaningful and important work we have ever done.”
Brown-Ellis added, “The musicians are very respectful and listen very carefully,” and the inmates “invite us in at their houseThey share their stories and open their hearts to us.”
This rare performance at the prison required special permission from the Ohio Department of Corrections. (Modo Media)
“During performances, I often see men closing their eyes and being transported to another place and time through the music,” she said.
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“We have brought them hope and peace, and they have given us even more.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution for additional comment about the performance and any future performances.
