“Music in the Prisons”: the adventure begins…

Me2/Orchestra’s “Music in the Prisons” tour starts tomorrow morning with an 8:00 a.m. rehearsal, then we hit the road a couple of hours later. We’ll be in St. Johnsbury and Newport, presenting 3 concerts for inmates at the two correctional facilities and the St. J work camp. It’s going to be a long day.

This was supposed to be a cello quartet tour, but three days ago one of the cellists dropped-out so we’re now a cello trio. The show goes on! I hadn’t anticipated any drama like this before the tour even started, which is naive of me considering how many years I’ve been working with young musicians. Oh well… in Me2/Orchestra, we roll with whatever happens and keep moving forward!

Our 6 people and 3 cellos should be more than comfortable in the large, silver van we’ve rented to drive to every corner of the state this week. None of us know what to expect: Will the inmates like the music? Will they engage in conversation with us? Will it feel similar to performing for any other audience?

Perhaps the only major difference in performing for this audience is that the musicians have to pass through metal detectors before entering the “performance area”.

The cellists will post daily blogs with photos, and maybe even some video clips from our trip. We also have a student intern, Lane, who is assembling a documentary of the tour for his senior project at CVU High School. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and check our website frequently this week to follow along on our adventure.

Much gratitude to everyone who contributed funds toward this project, including the “Small and Inspiring Grant” we received from the Vermont Community Foundation. This tour literally wouldn’t be happening without you!

Wish us luck this week…

Caroline Whiddon
Executive Director, Me2/Orchestra