Inside the fences: Pedagogical practices and purposes of songwriting in an adult male U.S. state prison

Abstract

We examined pedagogical strategies for facilitating and developing songwriting skills with 17 males incarcerated at a U.S. medium security prison. We also investigated the participants’ sense of self-worth, purpose, and social adjustment related to their participation in the songwriters’ workshops. The songwriting sessions spanned over two 13-week, 60-minute workshops and one nine-week 90-minute workshop, totaling 35 weeks. Using grounded theory procedures, we analyzed four types of data: 42 sets of original lyrics, written reflections from three instructors, transcriptions of four workshop sessions, and narrative data from participants, totaling 127 single-spaced pages. Our findings indicated that the collaborative and social nature of the songwriting workshops provided a supportive atmosphere where participants generated new songs for enjoyment and expression. Participants wrote about struggles and hardships, especially relationship problems, and our data suggested that the discussions about song topics helped them cope with their incarceration. Implications for music education are discussed.

Collaborative Songwriting Intervention for Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

“…11 In a study of 17 incarcerated males who underwent a 32-week collaborative songwriting intervention (CSI), participants were found to have improved adjustment to their incarceration along with increased personal skills. 12 The authors found the intervention facilitated trustworthy interactions among the incarcerated and helped to improve planning, pro-social, interpersonal, and emotional intelligence skills. 12 To date, research has not been conducted to assess the therapeutic effects of collaborative songwriting for veterans diagnosed with PTSD.…”

If you listen, I'll tell you how I feel

“…(p. 47) Research suggests that songwriting is an all-consuming activity that could contribute to the participants' sense of personal expression (Anderson, 2012;Jurgensmeier, 2012;Morin, 2008;Stephenson, 2001;Tobias, 2010;Viega, 2013). Songwriting usually demands intense engagement and involvement of the participants, and a sense of being consumed with the activity at hand often gives participants a feeling of fulfillment as they engage in the songwriting process (Citron, 2008;Cohen & Wilson, 2012;Sena-Martinez, 2012;Tobias, 2010). These findings point toward Waterman's theory of psychological individualism.…”

“…Research cited above suggests that choral singing provides both a social and emotional outlet for participants who are incarcerated. The Songwriters' Workshop studied for this research organically evolved out of the prison choir, in which participants enjoyed the expression of emotion that they have experienced through making music together (Cohen & Hickey, 2012;Cohen & Wilson, 2012). In this instance, participants wanted to deepen their experience and express their original thoughts by writing their own music.…”

“…Most songwriting studies involving prisoners are music therapy case studies, and these studies suggest that songwriting has the potential to positively affect forensic clientele. Implications of music therapy, music education, and ethnomusicology research on songwriting for those who are incarcerated included developing a new skill, gaining a sense of satisfaction from the songwriting process, finding satisfaction from pursuing detailed work over a period of time, improving one's ability to plan tasks and solve problems that require multiple steps, increasing pro-social skills, gaining a greater respect for others, finding a productive use of leisure time, and relaxing in a pro-social way (Fulford, 2002;Gallagher & Steele, 2002;Harbert, 2010;Rio & Tenney, 2002;Roma, 2010;Sheehan, 2010).Pubications also suggest that songwriting is a psychologically safe way to express emotions (Cohen & Hickey, 2012;Cohen & Wilson, 2012;Elsila, 2005;Harvey, 2010;Palidofsky & Stolbach, 2012;Roma, 2010;Tiernan, 2010;Sheehan, 2010;Wolf & Wolf, 2012), and that incarcerated songwriters often derive a sense of increased self-worth from the activity (Cohen & Hickey, 2012;Harvey, 2010;Roma, 2010;Sheehan, 2010).…”

“…As with music therapy songwriting programs for inmates, limited research and reports detail the implications of music education-based songwriting programs for prisoners. Of the publications that exist, the observations and writings of those who facilitate songwriting with prisoners are positive (Cohen & Hickey, 2012;Cohen & Wilson, 2012;Elsila, 1995;Roma, 2010;Tiernan, 2010;Sheehan, 2010). Roma 2010 The theme of community building through group songwriting occurs throughout these cited articles numerous times.…”