Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Wednesday Emergency services 10 things to know for Tuesday Comcast deal dropped along with Pac-12 Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Charlie's hat case linked to earlier east Medford break-ins Butte Falls man shot at brother over dispute involving guns, documents claim Thieves steal disabled veteran's $20,000 wheelchair Medford man charged with attempted murder in domestic assault Politics and Elections Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) Medford School Board, Position 6: Curt Ankerberg vs. Janet Lightheart Arthur I. Cyr: Cuba’s enduring challenge to American foreign policy – and American politics Gov. Brown touts need for transportation funding in talk to Medford chamber Kent Bush: Clinton 2.0 is neither new nor improved Education Medford School Board, Position 7: Lilia Caballero, Kevin Christiansen and Don Libby Medford School Board, Position 5: Kim Wallan vs. Michael Campbell Medford School Board, Position 6: Curt Ankerberg vs. Janet Lightheart Ashland, Scenic win Brain Bowl competitions Needs improvement Environment Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) Residents say armed mine supporters sully Josephine County's reputation Armed protesters gather at Medford BLM office over Sugar Pine Mine dispute Jackson County's wildlife services agent seen as both killer and savior Biomass technology: Creating products out of former waste State News Oregon Senate backs ban on ivory sales Oregon considers gun control bill targeting domestic abusers New bill may curb Oregon medical marijuana growing operations 'Louie Louie' singer Jack Ely dies at 71 in Oregon Municipal officials object to proposed Oregon public records measure Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Jewelldean Hammons Dennis Smith William Rayburn Erwin Edward Joseph Pentkowski Death Notices Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Sports Latest Stories Spurs edge Clips on late call Bumgarner outduels Kershaw as Giants win Nats' huge rally overtakes Braves Third time’s a charm Crater crushes Ashland in MWL tilt Varsity 541 College Sports Oregon coaches, players ready to ‘split up and play’ Donahue, Beavers down USC at home King's single lifts OSU over No. 10 USC Emmert, Silver not on same page with one-and-dones Addison gets back into rhythm with Ducks Pro Sports Spurs edge Clips on late call Bumgarner outduels Kershaw as Giants win Nats' huge rally overtakes Braves Dolphins’ Jordan caught again, suspended for year Cavs' Love not expected to return for playoffs Community Sports Bailey picks up modified win Wilson delivers in return of local boxing Palmer breezes to second straight men’s title Business Latest Stories Comcast deal dropped along with Pac-12 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option Cars We Remember: Mr. Hot Rod’s 1966 Chevelle 396 Ride & Drive: 2015 Ford F-150 FX4 Real Estate News Jackson County debt-ridden homeowners have an option New home in an old house Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house GREEN ACRES: Southern Oregon provides escape from the maddening crowd Since You Asked: Metro Medford rebranding proved economical People In Business Transportation Erickson finds room to work at Medford airport Lithia Motors nets $40.7 million in first quarter Lithia Motors reports second-best quarter ever Business briefs Medford airport's record run continues Agriculture 1-800Flowers.com reports $10.5 million loss in third quarter Naumes plans custom-crush winery in former packing house New bosses take charge at Harry & David Dancin Vineyards covers up Opinion Latest Granlund cartoon: Earthquake in Nepal Our View: Don't wait on public records reform Letters to the Editor, April 29 Kathleen Parker: Comedy, tragedy and fear of free speech Our View: Yes to faster speeds, no to lane splitting Editorials Our View: Don't wait on public records reform Our View: Yes to faster speeds, no to lane splitting Our View: Sensation and sensibility: a balancing act Other Views: UO president search happened in the dark Our View: Buildings belong with the Jackson County Library District Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, April 29 Letters to the Editor, April 28 Letters to the Editor, April 27 Letters to the Editor, April 26 Letters to the Editor, April 25 Columns Kathleen Parker: Comedy, tragedy and fear of free speech Michael Gerson: Weighing the baggage Hillary brings With a song in prisoners' hearts George Will: A Graham candidacy's fun factor Dana Milbank: The TPP is an abomination Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Uniting to restore our sovereignty to we, the people Guest Opinion: This Earth Day, we celebrate the Northwest Forest Plan The Medford School Board was wrong: 'American Pageant' is a political agenda, not history The Medford School Board was right: 'American Pageant' is a fine book, and the board did its homework Guest Opinion: Removing barriers to walking, biking benefits everyone Lifestyle Latest stories Page H. Onorato: Food items appear in the funnies Donna Knight: Alzheimer’s brings challenges Community blog: Variations on potato patties please brunch palates In Good Faith: Baltimore’s burst bubble Dear Monty: 10 tips to avoid tenant complaints Food Page H. Onorato: Food items appear in the funnies Community blog: Variations on potato patties please brunch palates Food for Thought: Grill up a storm as the weather gets warm Season Stepp: Make seared steak fajitas for Cinco De Mayo Prudence Hilburn: Funnel cakes range from sweet to savory Home and Garden Dear Monty: 10 tips to avoid tenant complaints Home Help: Upgrade your entryway with simple DIY projects Costa Living: Basking in flower power Garden Cameos: Spring is time for azaleas in the garden Dear Monty: Seven costly mistakes of new real estate investors Health 'Game changer' for heart patients Health Watch: Tips for protecting your eyes Dr. Jeff Hersh: Could severe cramping mean endometriosis? Dr. Murray Feingold: Is pre-op testing for cataract surgery necessary? Community blog: What about Lucy? Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, April 24 Religion Briefs: Friday, April 17 Religion briefs: Friday, April 10 Religion briefs: Friday, April 3 Milestones and Achievements ENGAGEMENT: Sellers-James Witham's birthday bash draws hundreds for 1950s prices Charlesworth-Murphy Drizzle doesn't dampen Pear Blossom Parade spirit New Arrivals: Sunday, April 12 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Thanks for the Memories stages 'Company' one night only Camelot Theatre presents 'Arsenic and Old Lace' 5 picks for live entertainment this week A Taste of Ashland pairs food and wine at galleries Rogue Valley Earth Day 2015 Theater Thanks for the Memories stages 'Company' one night only Camelot Theatre presents 'Arsenic and Old Lace' 'Secret Love' playwright Stan Lai appears in Ashland REVIEW: 'Secret Love' strikes comical, poignant balance Ashland New Plays Festival chooses new artistic director Music Interview: Offspring plays hits new and old on tour Maria Muldaur at the Unitarian Fellowship Genticorum at Paschal Winery Southern Oregon Repertory Singers Live Music in Local Clubs Community Events A Taste of Ashland pairs food and wine at galleries Rogue Valley Earth Day 2015 Foreign language film festival set at SOU Regional brewers, distillers, winemakers at Harry & David Field Third Fridays celebrates poetry, student art Movies Interview: Sofia Vergara talks ‘Hot Pursuit’ Quick Flicks: ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Insurgent’ and more 2015 summer movie preview Movie review: ‘Lambert and Stamp’ doc tells who was behind The Who Reader Review: 'Danny Collins' a sentimental and funny tribute to John Lennon Dining Set a table from your local farmers market Let's do brunch! Restaurant inspections: April 26, 2015 Island Grindz serves up Hawaiian specialties Have you wandered down the Bear Creek Wine Trail yet? Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Don't wait on public records reform ... Oregon Senate backs ban on ivory sales ... Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) ... Our View: Don't wait on public records reform ... Oregon Senate backs ban on ivory sales ... Earthquakes hit regularly in Medford (Oklahoma, that is) ... ANOTHER VIEW With a song in prisoners' hearts MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 27, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Apr. 27, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — Lee Correctional Institution, South Carolina's largest maximum-security prison, gets plenty of bad press — from a riot and a lockdown in February to drone-delivered contraband a few days ago. But within the walls of this all-male complex, something rare and beautiful is also happening. On a recent serendipitous visit to the prison with a friend, renowned cellist Claire Bryant, and a group of her fellow New York musicians, I was privileged to witness the transformative power of music scored with human kindness. Claire, whom I've known since she was a kid, is the poster child for giving back. Each year, she brings her enormous talent, her gargantuan heart and several artists — the Carnegie Hall affiliate ensemble "Decoda" — to forgotten places and people. Few are more forgotten than the men at Lee, many of whom have committed violent crimes, many of them sentenced to life imprisonment. But a life behind bars needn't mean the end of one's humanity. For four half-days and one full day of rehearsal, the musicians worked with inmates writing original music that was then performed in a concert for fellow inmates, prison staff and a half-dozen invited civilians, including me. If I knew then what I know now/I'd never stop believing/That I can do anything/I can change/I can be transformed. So goes the chorus to one of the songs written by Keith, Don and DX in collaboration with Decoda. The theme of the five-day project was, you may have guessed, transformation, which is an equally apt word to describe this particular group of 30, all part of a special group of 256 within the prison (total population 1,700). They call themselves BLIC, for Better Living Incentive Community. Created after a riot in 2012, BLIC members are selected based on good behavior and housed in a separate dorm. As an inmate described it to me: "He wanted us to think as free men rather than as incarcerated men without hope." ("He" refers to BLIC creator Michael McCall, deputy director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections.) Each member agrees contractually to the rules of engagement. My favorite: Anyone standing eight feet away shouldn't be able to hear your conversation. Talk about music to mine ears. The program is peer-driven, faith-based — and ought to be replicated in every prison. It works. In the past two years, there have been no infractions among BLIC members. This means, among other things, that inmates leave their cell doors open, their lockers unlocked and, significantly, they don't have to worry about being stabbed — a near-daily occurrence elsewhere in the prison, inmates told me. Such comity also means that the musicians — and I during rehearsals — felt comfortable among inmates with only a single guard in sight. Indeed, there was great camaraderie and affection between the two groups. If you doubt that within every person resides a divine spark, listening to prisoners express their joys and sorrows — ever-luminous even in this dark place — may cause you to reconsider. The 19 songs created and performed came from deep places many had never explored before. With a few notable exceptions, many had no prior musical experience. Don, a quiet, self-contained 24-year-old serving his sixth year, began learning to play guitar three years ago. He learned from Rob — BLIC's maestro — whose father taught him to play at 10. Rob now runs a music program for 70 inmates. "With music," says Rob, "I can travel all over the world without leaving my cell." The concert brought jubilation and left few dry eyes. A young man in his 20s rapped his heart out in homage to his grandmother, who suffered Alzheimer's while he was away chasing dreams. She didn't remember him upon his return 10 years later — until, tending a boyhood vow, he fed and tucked her in bed the way she used to do him. Another performed a heartbreaking memoriam to his little girl who had died, a song he tearfully testified had finally brought him peace. Unlike inmates who claim they're innocent, each man I spoke to accepted full responsibility for the actions that put him behind bars. All insisted that they had changed. From the outside, it's easy to snicker at that sentence — and perhaps there was a con artist or two in the bunch — but there was something transcendently good at Lee Correctional on that Sunday afternoon. The final chorus that brought all to their feet tells the rest of the story: Look at me now/I'm not who I once was/The trials in my life/Have come to make me strong/So look at me now. Kathleen Parker's email address is [email protected]. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 27, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501