History
Founder & Artistic Director Nathan Schram with Alumnus Robert Pollock
Musicambia is inspired by El Sistema. El Sistema promotes music ensembles as a perfect model of a functional society. “The System” teaches the values of working independently and cooperatively through intensive music study and performances.
Founded by violist and composer Nathan Schram, Musicambia began as a branch of Carnegie Hall’s Musical Connections Program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in 2013, and then incorporated as a separate non-profit in 2014.
In 2013, Schram was invited to be the first American to visit the prison music programs of Venezuela’s El Sistema. At the 5 prisons he visited, incarcerated students spent 30+ hours per week in immersive music instruction. These programs had life-changing effects on the students and on the administration as well. Schram experienced the transformative power that music brings to a community in need of change, inspiration, and compassion. You can read more about Nathan’s time in Venezuela here.
Our Flagship program at Sing Sing takes place every other weekend between September and June. Our faculty of 16 diverse Teaching Artists offer a syllabus focused on musical instrument instruction, composition, and ensemble performance to 32 incarcerated men.
We hold several concerts a year at Sing Sing, featuring students performing their original music, with audiences of up to 150 members of the general prison population. We provide participants with the opportunity to develop life skills such as effective communication, teamwork and self-confidence through music. In the words of a Musicambia student, “the relationships & the community teach us how to be part of the world again.”
Jessie Kilguss joined the team in 2017 as grant writer. In 2018, she became Musicambia’s first ever full-time employee, thanks to a grant from the New York State Regional Economic Development Council. In 2019, in recognition of her contribution to the organization, she became Executive Director. At the end of 2022, Kilguss stepped down from leading Musicambia and joined the Board of Directors. In September 2023, Shawn Jaeger was appointed Executive Director.
In addition to our three programs at Sing Sing, we also have active programs at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, in Bedford Hills, New York, in partnership with Rehabilitation Through the Arts; Lansing Correctional Facility, in Lansing, Kansas, in partnership with the University of Missouri-Kansas City; and San Quentin Rehabilitation Center, in San Quentin, California, in partnership with William James Association and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. We have also led programs at Allendale Correctional Institution in South Carolina, Rikers Island in New York City, Pitchess Detention Center in California.
A Day at Musicambia
On a typical day at Musicambia, a duo of violinists collaborate on counting the complicated rhythms of a Bach invention arranged by the Musicambia faculty for their ensemble. In the same room, a more advanced violinist works with a beginner level violist and a Teaching Artist on improving his left hand technique. Across the hall, a larger group of participants explore a variety of jazz chords until the sounds merge into a clear and impressive run of “Chameleon” by Herbie Hancock. The jam session continues as participants improvise their own melodies over Hancock’s bass line. Those who prefer to focus on individual training work in the remaining rooms, discussing their new compositions or practicing new techniques for their instruments. Students move freely around the classrooms, and while walking the halls, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that for just these few hours, the atmosphere of Sing Sing’s education building resembles a lively music school rather than a maximum security prison.
According to the NAACP, America’s prison population has quadrupled since 1980, which means 1 in every 100 adults incarcerated. Most of these people will re-enter the communities where we live, and very few programs exist to help them build the communicative and collaborative skills needed to ensure a smooth transition back home. Now more than ever, it’s necessary to bring rehabilitative programs to this community so desperately in need of a second chance.
Curious how Musicambia got started?
Read Nathan’s personal blog about his experience as the first American to visit the El Sistema penitentiary system program in Venezuela.
