Music calms the savage beast. The Violins in Prison program gives San Quentin residents a chance to transform their lives through music.

San Quentin resident and program leader John Zeretske has been playing music for over 50 years. He trained in the classical musical arts and has a heart to teach and lead the first-of-its-kind Violins in Prison program.

“My life has been greatly enriched by music. I’m very grateful to pass along what I can,” said Zeretske.

When Zeretske set out to start the violin program, he was hoping to have an impact on the lives of others through music. He remembers how music changed his own life. He was 10 years old when he first held a violin, and his love for music has never faded. The VIP program is as much about personal growth as it is about music.

Friends of San Quentin Strings, a support group, donated the violins used in the program.

A typical scene: a diverse group of incarcerated men sits in a circle holding the small instruments, learning to bow them gracefully. The sound carries out into the courtyard, causing passersby to stop and look through the windows of the interfaith Chapel C.

A similar phenomenon happens almost every day on the Lower Yard, where one of Zeretzke’s students plays a violin, the distinct sound carrying, drawing attention.

San Quentin resident Kenneth Thurman, 57, regularly plays his violin on the yard. Thurman grew up in a gang culture and got involved in crime and drugs as a young man. Nobody Thurman grew up with owned or played instruments. It was not something he ever envisioned for himself.

“A decade ago my mind was trapped in a Pandora’s box of criminality. Playing a violin back then never crossed my mind,” Thurman said.

A desire to learn to play music grew inside Thurman shortly after he arrived at San Quentin. Wanting to challenge himself and step out of his comfort zone, he signed up for the VIP program. He said he loves it.

“It brings me joy and gives my life sustenance and meaning. I feel like I have a purpose with the music,” said Thurman.

The Violins in Prison program meets in Chapel C every Tuesday morning. The program is unique in that the instruments are stringed and the students get to take them to their cells.

Zeretske stands in the middle of the circle of men and teaches. He shows the men how to position their hands on the violin, where to rest their chin, and how to hold the bow.

Zeretske talks about the importance of keeping the instruments clean. With proper care, they can serve musicians for hundreds of years. That is a lot of time for a violin to make a difference in someone’s life.

San Quentin resident Leonardo Gonzalez, 43, grew up in the middle of a civil war in his home country of El Salvador. He said his father, a very strict military man, was abusive. 

Gonzalez said he had a rough childhood, but he always loved music. It was a beautiful thing he remembers from his early life. As a teenager, Gonzalez had many friends that were in bands, and he was constantly around live music.

At age 20, Gonzalez left El Salvador for the United States, where, within a few years, he was serving a 25-to-life sentence.

When Gonzalez arrived at San Quentin and saw someone playing a violin on the yard, he couldn’t believe it. “I wanted to play a violin all of my life but never had the chance,” he said.

Gonzalez sat in and watched the program for four months, waiting for the next class to begin. When he finally started the class and received a violin, he said he was happy and felt lucky to be at a prison that offers such a program. He sees and appreciates the impact that learning the instrument has had in his own life.

“For me, the mental and emotional impact is huge. My mood changes when I play the violin,” said Gonzalez.

For safety and security reasons California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has never allowed inmates to have violins, until now.