Cristian Rodriguez is happy because now he has real teachers that show him how to play guitar. Photo by Ruben Tapia.
Ironwood State Prison is a maximum-security prison in California in the desert area near the Colorado River and the border with Arizona. At this facility, thanks to an award-winning Tex-Mex musician and a young trio and mariachi singer, a group of inmates are finding their long sentences more bearable and have also seen racial tensions diminished. At one of the guitar classes as part of the Art in Corrections program designed by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), Ruben Tapia spoke with two teachers and several of their motivated students. This report is part of the series Arts in Corrections, sponsored by ACTA with funding from the California Arts Council.
This program, known as Arts in Corrections, is part of an effort by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Arts Council and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts. Its purpose is to rehabilitate prisoners and help them prepare for reintegration into their families and communities.
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- Mary Alfaro and her group playing at a restaurant
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- Ramon P. Alarcon and rapper Rudolph Flower at guitar class.
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- Mary Alfaro talks about musical theory
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- Ramon P. Alarcon sings a song he created.
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- Rich Snyder, plays Black Bird, famous song by Paul McCarthy
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- Cristian Rodriguez.
Photos by Ruben Tapia
For more information about Arts in Corrections visit this page
To listen more Arts and Culture programs visit our Arts and Culture section at www.radiobilingue.org
