Unlocking Harmony

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with over two million people currently in prison. This reality is shaped by a range of factors, including sentencing laws, drug policy, and systemic inequities that disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color.

Unlocking Harmony, led by Mimi Bornstein and Malcolm Brooks, works with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals to transform personal stories into original songs through the Documentary Songwriting method. The program is offered in partnership with correctional facilities across the U.S., with Documentary Songwriters supporting Maine-based programming.

Through facilitated songwriting sessions, participants collaborate with teaching artists to shape their stories into lyrics and music. These songs are then arranged for choral performance and shared through recordings and public concerts.

The project is built on the belief that music can create space for listening across distance and experience. By bringing these songs into public performance, Unlocking Harmony invites audiences to engage directly with stories from inside the carceral system, offering a fuller understanding of incarceration and its impact on individuals, families, and communities.

The program also recognizes the possibility of change and rehabilitation, and uses collaborative songwriting as a way to support connection, communication, and reflection on the human impact of incarceration in the United States.