MISSION

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Music on the Inside works with professional musicians to bring the transformative power of music education, mentorship and hope to those incarcerated or facing the challenges of reentry. 

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MOTI operates four types of programming to meet our community’s needs:

 

1) Prison Music Classes

MOTI taught singing and songwriting to youth on Rikers Island and currently provides music classes to adults at Queensboro Correctional Facility (QCF), the only reentry prison in the five boroughs of New York City. MOTI’s guitar, singing and songwriting classes take place twice in a dedicated MOTI music room at Queensboro and are open to all, regardless of musical experience or ability.

 

2) Reentry Mentorships

MOTI is unique in its musical support for individuals in reentry. Our Mentorships pair returning citizens with a professional musician on their instrument for weekly sessions at no cost to clients. We currently provide mentorships on guitar, piano, saxophone, violin, flute, drums, singing and spoken word and respond to requests for mentorships on any and all instruments. Mentorship sessions primarily take place virtually, removing the barriers of time and transportation for both mentor and protégé. MOTi also arranges paid performance opportunities for our most engaged mentees.  

 

3) Community Programming for Youth

In addition to working with adults in prison and in reentry MOTI also provides community programming for young men and women on probation.  Our Bars Beyond Bars, songwriting and music production program, and the Fatherhood Film project. These preograms are run in partnership with Youth Justice Network, in Harlem and in the Bronx. Over six week semesters,  participants work with professional musicians, songwriters, music and film producers to create, write and record original songs and films.

 

4) The MOTI Reentry Dream Band

Recognizing the importance of community-building and mentorships for returning citizen musicians, MOTI has created the Reentry Dream Band, featuring individuals originally taught in MOTI prison classes and other talented musicians in reentry.  The Reentry Dream Band provides regular opportunities for members to meet, learn, and rehearse and perform as paid artists, building authentic community as they build their lives outside of prison. The Reentry Dream Band is a regular feature at MOTI’s Juneteenth Jazz Jubilee and other events, were most recently featured at the Newport Jazz Festival. Through jazz, blues, soul, original songs and storytelling, they create powerful performances that uplift and bring awareness to the humanity and talents of those often dismissed and forgotten. 

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Concerts 

At MOTI concerts, MOTI mentees perform alongside their mentors and other distinguished professional musicians. MOTI works to identify paid performance opportunities for its most dedicated protégés which are featured at our annual Juneteenth Jazz Jubilee as well as community programs in the boroughs. MOtI has presented over 80 Musicians for Justice concerts, since the beginning of the pandemic, and over 500 top musicians have contributed their performances in support of our mission. 

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