Music on the Inside: Bridging Musically from Rikers to Reentry
Help give incarcerated and at-risk youth better choices and encouragement through music education and mentorships with seasoned musicians.
Leader
Alina Bloomgarden
Location
Rikers Island & East New York Brooklyn, NY 11207
About the project
Music on the Inside, Inc. (MOTI) has completed 3 semesters at Rikers Island, teaching the blues and encouraging original songs in its “ Blues to feel Alright” workshops. Noting significant improvements in behavior and mood, Rikers has now requested that MOTI double its musical footprint by adding choirs in two of its facilities for youth. In addition, communities in Central Brooklyn and Harlem are requesting MOTI programming to give ongoing support through music during the vulnerable reentry period. We're excited that so many top jazz musicians, including MOTI Artistic Advisor Wynton Marsalis, Randy Westen, Barry Harris, Jon Faddis as well as generous and caring people like you share our concerns. When we give incarcerated youth and those from our high-needs communities encouragement through music and the chance for a better life, all of society benefits. Please help us make dreams come true!
We would love to thank you directly for your donation. Please share your name and email address with us when you check out.
The Steps
Confirm, contract, train and support teaching artists - August-September 2017
Initiate after school programs in East New York Brooklyn - September 2017
Promote MOTI programs in Rikers and in Central Brooklyn communities- September - October 2017
Sign up and interview prospective students at Rikers - October 10-20 2017
Resume 6 week semester teaching in GMDC and RMDC, two facilities in Rikers - October 24, 2017
Initiatie ongoing choirs for adults and youth returning from corrections in East New York and Bedford Stuyvesant -November 1, 2017
Why we‘re doing it
MOTI utlizes music education and mentorships to foster creativity, new skills and hope for incarcerated and at-risk youth. We are a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization created to fulfill the urgent need for programs to give young people in corrections and in communities encouragement to express themselves positively and develop life skills and hope inspired by the life experience of our teachers and mentors. Our goal is to reduce recidivism, improve morale, and lower the financial and social costs of current criminal-justice.