Celebrating Freedom & Independence

The way to freedom for all, clearly, is through the expressive arts...

I stand and watch the waterfall. The mist lingers over the bridge in the background, the sun shines through the tree canopy, and I am fairly stunned by the view, by Nature. The flow of the water cascades down over the rocks and gives me a great feeling of freedom. And then, I remember: Even though we’ll celebrate “Independence” this week, not everyone is free, not exactly.

I was so graciously invited last week to see the NY premiere of Sing Sing, A24’s new feature film about Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), a non-profit committed to bringing dignity to people in prisons including the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York. They achieve their mission brilliantly through offering up various art forms including theater, which is the art form featured in the film. I am a big supporter of Musicambia, which does likewise, specifically through music, and it is through their contacts that I was asked if I wanted to join. The answer was a resounding yes.

It is an amazing thing to behold a group of humans who are offered the opportunity — maybe for the first time ever in their lives —to express themselves vulnerably, to collaborate peacefully, and to create something beautiful and impactful and powerful, resonant of the grand potential that humans gathered toward a shared artistic mission can achieve.

No spoiler alert, just to say that the actors in the film are actual alumni of RTA’s theater program at Sing Sing who have since been granted their freedom from prison, who mostly played themselves. And to see them gathered in the flesh afterwards gave me the same goosebumps as when I see the alumni of Musicambia gather together again outside prison walls to perform the music that fairly saved them inside, to gather in the unity that music offered to them inside, that helped them recognize their own beauty and power.

Colman Domingo, the star of the film, spoke beforehand, thanking the audience for “coming with an open heart to hear these stories…” He offered up something said to him by Rhodessa Jones, an actress and founder/director of the Medea Project in the Bay Area that provides theater for incarcerated women. What she said has become, he said, “Something like the North Star for me.”

“Politics doesn’t work, religion is too eclectic, but art…art just might be the parachute that saves us all.”

-Rhodessa Jones

And “With that,” he said, “I give you Sing Sing.” You can hear him below.

After the incredibly poignant film, as the formerly incarcerated gentleman who acted their parts so stunningly gathered onstage, the scenes of the film and all the stories I’ve heard from conversations with Musicambia alumni coalesced in my mind into one strong idea: how beautiful are humans. It struck me during this film how vulnerable and scared we all are, how desperate to love and be loved we all are, how achingly we all wish to be granted the opportunity to show both.

Sean “Dino” Johnson, a board member and alumnus of RTA, has said that he “found freedom behind those walls,” with RTA. He plays himself in the film and, afterward, he stepped forward from the group and spoke.

“We are committed to changing the perception of the incarcerated…” he said. And he had a request: “When you walk out of here, I want you to remember the resilience of the human spirit, the power of humanity. Our gift to you.” Hear him below.

So, so beautiful. Go see it! Opens in theaters July 12th. And remember this July 4th, when celebrating, that there is a lot of work yet to be done so that all peoples are free in this great well-resourced country of ours…

While this film premiere won top billing for most inspirational evening of the week, the also-rans were likewise beautiful. Musicians as always fill empty spots in my heart, and this week I appreciated the beautiful outdoor concert of the roots rock band The Insolent Willies at West Kill Brewery in West Kill, NY, on Tuesday afternoon, celebrating the birthday of a friend; Terell Stafford playing his outstanding trumpet with one of my fave people, drummer Johnathan Blake, and others at The Village Vanguard on Thursday; and an evening out for the first time to The Avalon Lounge in Catskill, NY for the Redshift Trio featuring trumpeter Josh Deutsch and guitarist Nico Soffiato (a longtime duo) along with drummer Dan Weiss. The talent of people, and their ability to come together to grace us with their skills, never ceases to amaze.

I will be celebrating my own freedom this week away from New York, tromping North to New Hampshire and Maine. That means no calendar, so you’re on your own to determine your own inspirational events this week. GO TO LIVE MUSIC! SUPPORT THE ARTS! Remember, they are indeed our parachute:)

In peace and harmony. See you next week!!

Steph