Episode 10 of Let’s Shake On It with Shruti Kumar is presented in partnership with Give a Beat, Prison Music Project, and Prose of a Con — featuring interviews, music, and readings from organizers and Russell Wardlow, an inmate (resident #78756) of the Omaha Correctional Center whose poetry, written entirely behind bars, is the seed for the radio series “Prose of a Con” featuring prominent DJs around the country sharing Russell’s work. His poignant and insightful readings speak to the destructive nature of the prison system as much as they do the healing power of artistic expression, sentiments he and Give a Beat both share. Tune in to hear about these efforts, and to hear some new words and thoughts from Russell. The second portion of this episode will be devoted to airing a full episode of “Prose of a Con”, and we hope to help raise funds for the further development of Russell’s vision with Give A Beat and Compassion Prison Project.

All music from this episode is from “The Prison Music Project” & “Soul Clap.”

For more information on how to support, check out flipcause.com.

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Give a Beat connects the electronic music community with youth and families affected by incarceration. By providing young people with access to professionals in the music industry and related arts, the nonprofit encourages young people to pursue creative career opportunities.
Founded in 2014 on the positive elements in electronic music culture, such as peace, love, empathy, understanding and unity, Give a Beat approaches its programs with these values in mind. Since its inception, Give a Beat has provided more than 50 workshops to approximately 500 youths in partnership with 10 organizations — in juvenile halls, community centers and after-school programs.

The Prison Music Project is the long time effort of folk-singer and songwriter Zoe Boekbinder (they/them) who visited New Folsom Prison for the first time in 2010. What they thought would be one interesting day turned into a decade-long collaborative project. Boekbinder visited the prison often over the next five years; performing and teaching music workshops quickly turned into the beginnings of collaborations with writers and musicians who were incarcerated within New Folsom’s walls. This was the seed for the Prison Music Project and the culminating album, Long Time Gone, produced by Ani DiFranco. Out now on Righteous Babe Records, the album features work by nine incarcerated (and formerly incarcerated) writers. The profits of Long Time Gone will benefit communities impacted by mass incarceration and the funds will be administered by the Southern Center for Human Rights.

Electronic music-based nonprofit Give a Beat, DJ Times magazine and DanceGruv Radio have partnered for a new radio series called Prose of a Con featuring the poetry and prose of Russell Wardlow, a resident at Omaha Correctional Center. The six-part series will run bi-weekly on DanceGruv Radio with each episode showcasing Wardlow’s prose and poetry read aloud by DJs across the electronic music community. Wardlow composes his work entirely behind bars. His poignant and insightful readings speak to the healing power of artistic expression to help transcend the harsh reality of the prison system. We are now raising funds for the website launch with The Compassion Prison Project here: flipcause.com