Before St. Louis Symphony Orchestra musician Peter Henderson began playing “Clair de lune” (“Moonlight”) from Suite bergamasque by Claude Debussy, he told his audience that the 19th century piece was one of the most famous piano compositions of all time.
During the opening chords, a woman became excited. “I know this,” she whispered loudly to her seat neighbor. “This is from ‘Ocean’s 11.’” A detainee of the women’s prison housed within the Buzz Westfall Justice Center in St. Louis County, she was delighted with herself for recognizing the piece that she heard in the Blockbuster film starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Don Cheadle and Bernie Mac. By the time he finished playing the song, tears were streaming down her face.
“I wish every audience responded to ‘Clair de lune’ the way that they did,” said Maureen Byrne, Vice President of Education and Community Programs for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. “They responded so genuinely to the moment.”
The song was the first of a handful of selections performed for the detainees as part of the announcement for the Melodies of Hope collaborative music education initiative. St. Louis County Justice Services will work with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Pianos for People, Suzuki Harmony, Maryville University Music Therapy and participating residents from the Buzz Westfall Justice Center.
Every seat in the recreation area that was temporarily transformed into a concert hall was filled. Other residents watched with their faces pressed to the glass window of their tiny pods. They smiled, applauded and cried as if they were in one of the seats. Henderson provided brief introductions to the selections that he and SLSO violinist Jessica Cheng Hellwege performed.
“The violin is one of the great instrumental singers,” Henderson told the audience. “So those of you who will be fortunate enough to play violin, you’ll have the opportunity to sing without words.”
The program’s first cohort of 10 residents will begin piano and violin lessons in March 2025.
“Melodies of Hope is more than a program—it’s a lifeline,” said County Executive Dr. Sam Page in a statement announcing the initiative. “Through the universal language of music, we’re giving folks the tools to express themselves, heal, and envision a brighter future. These are critical factors for successful reintegration into society.”
There will be five piano students and five violin students. Byrne is ambitiously hoping for 100 applicants for the program that will pilot in the women’s jail.
“It’s not just instruction,” Byrne said. “It is also providing music therapy and a chance to collaborate. We are not going to develop master violinists or pianists. That’s not the point.”
The program will include a classroom featuring instruments donated by Pianos for People, a dedicated violin practice space provided by Suzuki Harmon and Comprehensive support from Maryville University Music Therapy, blending music education with evidence-based therapeutic techniques.
Sharing her talent with the incarcerated is one of the ways Hellwege gives back. She was playing at a prison once and a man came up to me to share how her playing impacted him. “He said, ‘I want you to know that I wasn’t falling asleep,” Hellwege recalled. “’My eyes were closed because I haven’t felt that free in a long time.’ His words continue to motivate me to keep paying this gift forward.”
Byrne told the detainees that through the program that they have an incredible opportunity through Melodies of Hope.
“It’s an opportunity to learn something that’s not easy, but nothing in life worth having usually is,” Byrne said. “I hope our visit today inspired you to apply.”
The performance had Byrne’s desired effect on Adosia Mason.
“I’m hoping I won’t be here, because I go to court in February,” detainee Adosia Mason said. “But if I am, I really want to participate. It would make things so much better for me. The music gave me a feeling I haven’t had the whole time I’ve been in here.”
Kito Bess, Director of Justice Services for St. Louis County, was already making plans for a Melodies of Hope activity framed around Women’s History Month. The initiative was conceived when a detainee reached out to Bess and asked if he could create music program for the jail.
He conducted an internet search and found that the Illinois Department of Justice had a program. He decided that having one for St. Louis County was not unrealistic.
“They don’t have to master the instruments, but you know what, getting people to do something different and try it out, that’s taking the first step towards change,” Bess said. “That’s what this is.”
A referral by St. Louis Community College connected him to the St. Louis Symphony, and then the other partners. Byrne was moved by how quickly all of the partners teamed up and began the process of building the Melodies of Hope. The first meeting was held in November.
“This initiative is more than just a program,” Bess said. “Think of it as a belief in the transformative power of music.
It is our hope that today’s performance has inspired all who have attended – and reminds us that music can transcend the walls and foster healing, for all of us.”
Living It content is produced in partnership with Regional Arts Commission.
