Calendar of Events

The Inside Singers Screening & Panel Discussion

Coe will host a screening of the short documentary The Inside Singers about a former Iowa prison choir, followed by a panel discussion, on Tuesday, April 1, 4:00 - 5:30 PM in Kesler Auditorium in Hickok Hall on the Coe College campus. This event is free and open to the public and all are welcome. 

The Inside Singers, directed by filmmaker Daniel Kolen, tells the inspiring story of The Oakdale Choir and its impact on some of its members. The Oakdale Choir rehearsed and performed at Iowa Medical and Classification Center, the state prison in Coralville, Iowa, for eleven years until it was closed in 2020 by the Covid pandemic. An “inside-out” choir, it was made up of incarcerated singers joined by singers from the community outside the prison. The film features several “inside” members reflecting on what the choir meant to them and how it helped them reflect, heal, and move forward with their lives.

The choir was founded in 2009 by Dr. Mary Cohen, its director and a professor of music and education at the University of Iowa. "The dominant way of thinking is someone's committed a crime, what did they do, and how should they be punished," said Dr. Cohen, explaining the motivation for the choir. "But there is a different way to think about conflict. The question would be what harm has been committed and how can that harm be healed? Looking at who are we now, and how can we build beauty and build each other up." 

Members of the choir not only sang together but collaborated on writing original songs. They performed a concert each season for the prison population and for invited outside guests.

After 30-minute film showing, a panel discussion will include Kolen, Dr. Cohen and musician Lyndsey Scott, who will share a song co-written with an incarcerated choir member. Informal discussion in the lobby will conclude the event.

Contact Dr. Gina Hausknecht at ghauskne@coe.edu with questions or for further information.

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