Four San Quentin bands made their public debut Feb. 8 in a fun-filled night. Two bands from Marin County performed a benefit concert at the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley alongside videos of the prison bands.
Music Lockdown, a Benefit for the Prison Arts Program ,featured This Old Earthquake and Beso Negro. The concert included a filmed performance from four San Quentin bands – The Human Condition, NSF, Just Came to Play, and Cold Steal Blue.
The show began at 9 p.m. with three prisoner-Tommy Winfrey, Dave Basile and Borey “Pee J” Ai-speaking about the benefits they have received from being part of programs at San Quentin.
Tickets priced between $20 and $25, along with additional donations, raised $3,080. All profits will go to benefit the William James Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing arts programs to prisoners.
According to a press release, “The William James Association sponsors the Prison Arts Project at San Quentin. William James Association’s 37 years of organizing prison arts has shown that inmates exposed to arts and music have better chances of success inside and upon release.”
San Quentin bands traditionally play live shows on the prison yard, and this was the first time a performance like this has aired for the public.
Raphaele Casale, sponsor of the Music and Performance Program, says, “Being a sponsor of the program has allowed me to see how much talent the men at San Quentin have.”
According to the press release, “The San Quentin Music and Performance Program, a self-help, member-based activity group, gives inmates a chance to express themselves via music and arts instead of violence and anger. The program aims to create a networking structure of rehabilitation through the enhancement of musical and artistic skills as well as encouraging group morale, self-discipline, self-worth and a realization of each member’s potential to be a productive citizen in a free society.”
The William James Association funds the Prison Arts Project through donations. Previously art programs in state prisons were funded by the state government in a program named Arts in Corrections.
Arts in Corrections was eliminated from the state’s budget years ago, but the William James Association has managed to keep the art programs alive in San Quentin.
Taylor Cutcomb of the band This Old Earthquake donated many hours to make the show a success. He helped to record the audio portion of the video alongside prisoners Ray Aldridge and Dwight Krizman.
San Quentin TV recorded and produced the video that was aired at the Sweetwater Music Hall.