Tampa Bay Times Article

Reporter Sonia Rao writes about the violin/cello programs with foster-involved children and teens in juvenile detention: https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2024/08/24/tampa-cello-instructor-teaches-at-risk-kids-more-than-just-music/

ABC Action News Reports on Detention Music Program

Click to WATCH the news segment: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/tampa-teacher-brings-music-and-hope-to-troubled-teen-girls

NEWS

Detention String Program performs at the Straz!

In partnership with The Florida Orchestra, the music students had the opportunity to perform at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

NEWS

Department of Juvenile Justice Highlights Detention String Program

Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice's newsletter, the DJJ Rundown, recently highlighted a performance by teens in the music program at Les Peters Academy!

NEWS

Detention String Group performs at Florida Southern College

The detention string group performed as part of the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra's exciting Cookie Concert event. The students really enjoyed this fun opportunity.

INTERVIEW

University of North Carolina Greensboro

It was wonderful to have the opportunity to talk with UNCG's Terri Relos about music's impact on youth in detention!

Read more here:

https://vpa.uncg.edu/2023/08/16/making-music-to-connect-with-teens-in-custody/

News Highlight: Music in Detention

The detention music programs that Bethany directs have been highlighted in the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice's recent newsletter!

Beyond the significant musical achievements, these unique programs help young people develop teamwork, communication, self-confidence, and perseverance, which are all invaluable skills in their personal growth as they move towards society re-entry.

True Core Highlights Juvenile Justice Music Programs

"Thanks to the Prodigy Cultural Arts Program, two of our facility’s Les Peters Academy and Hillsborough Girls Academy had the opportunity to participate in a String Orchestra. Our students learned how to play the Cello and Violin from Music Instructor Bethany Thompson. Hillsborough Girls performed for staff and their peers during an onsite concert. Les Peters Girls were invited to perform at a Prodigy Community Event off campus for community stakeholders. Both experiences award the girls an opportunity to showcase their talent, build skills for performing in front of an audience and inspired pride in themselves. Most of the girls verbalized wanting to continue learning their instrument when they return home. Thank you, Bethany, for working with our kids and exposing them to the arts."

In Their Own Words:

System-involved youth participating in the string programs share their thoughts

Self-confidence: Many of the youth came from backgrounds where they were told they would not be able to succeed. Students shared with me that “people would always tell me . . . like I couldn’t do stuff and they would like try to put me down growing up” but through music "[I learned] I need to stop limiting myself, telling myself what I can’t do and . . . allowing new things like the . . . strings to teach me new things, so I’m not always bottled up in the same things.”

Potential to succeed and do good things: Other students said that program participation made them realize that they had “potential . . . Some people in the group have never had nobody see that in them, so it’s different for them.” One told me, “You worked with me and you believe in me. And I haven’t had many people to do that. So, it feels really good,” while another felt like her success with the violin contradicted the discouraging voices from her past: performing in the string program “just shows I’m actually doing something . . . I feel like it kind of proves them wrong . . . I can do stuff and I can like make people proud and I can do good stuff in life also.”

The power of persistence: Acquiring skills with an instrument and through successful, exciting performances, the students told me that they learned the power of persistence, and their ability to succeed: “You might get frustrated, but don’t give up. And that’s what you taught me. No matter how many times I wanted to say, forget it, you told me to keep trying. Until, like, I got it. So I kept trying and I haven’t gave up since.”

Teamwork skills: Many students mention that participating in the program has taught them teamwork, prosocial skills, and communication: “[it] taught me how to work together with people and, yeah, just work as a team and be patient with others. And they’re patient with me. So it’s taught me, you know, we can get through this—we gotta just work together.” Another student described a concert experience when she recognized the power of collaboration and seeing “my peers in a different light than what they normally talk about, doing something completely positive, like no undertone, no nothing, it was just positive and everybody was just enjoying everybody.”

Emotional release: Students also comment on the emotional release they feel through music: “Plucking the strings sometimes when I’m upset gets my anger out and… releases some anger.” “Whatever I carry with me, the music is a stress reliever and it helps take my mind off other distractions which occur through the week. I can come in here and it puts a smile on my face.”

Strings in the Juvenile Justice System

Bethany directs the string program at Les Peters Academy (a detention center for girls), and The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice News recently highlighted this new project in their newsletter, the DJJ Rundown.

Bethany also directs the string program at Hillsborough Girls Academy, a maximum security detention center in Tampa.

North Carolina Juvenile Justice String Program

Founded and directed by Bethany, Chatham Strings was a string program at a juvenile detention center in North Carolina. She taught the detained youth violin, viola, and cello, and coached them in a chamber ensemble. The group performed both inside the facility and at university venues and statewide juvenile justice events. Three articles by NC Health News and NCDPS were written on the program, the University of North Carolina Greensboro and the NCDPS produced videos on the program, and Bethany received a Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Mini-Grant from the University of North Carolina Greensboro to support the program.

Research and Publications

Bethany's research examined the benefits of musical involvement on youth in the juvenile justice system, and was conducted with the youth in her detention string program, Chatham Strings. This research was the subject of Bethany’s doctoral dissertation, and she presented a poster on the research at the International Society of Music Educators Community Music Activity Commission at the 2021 ISME World Conference. Her research was also published in the String Research Journal.

Testimonials

“This [program] has been a tremendous help . . . and it has been great and refreshing for me, as well as for the campus, to experience this . . . We have gained such momentum, you know. Now I’m going to say your program is recognized around the state. . . I get calls and emails all the time because people need to see this... [Your program's] momentum is building success for these kids.”

C. Dingle, former director of Chatham Youth Development Center

Testimonials

“Congrats on the nice article and the youtube video is really cool. As you know, I think the most basic and exciting connection to music for kids (especially kids who need an outlet) is for them to create - doesn't matter the genre. So really really great for you to be doing this and seeing your success pay off. I can't think of another program anywhere like this (kids playing and composing on string instruments in a detention setting)."

M. Hickey, Associate Professor Emerita of Music Education at Northwestern University

Testimonials

“Chatham Strings is made up of students from the Chatham Youth Development Center. This program was developed by Bethany and has played in several places over the last year. Very impressive and important program. Actually difficult not to get more than a little misty-eyed at the thought of what this program means to and for the students.”

D. AsKew, late Director of the University of North Carolina Greensboro School of Music

Testimonials

“Thank you so much for the wonderful performance on Friday. You are truly doing a great job with our students.”

P. Jones, principal at Chatham Youth Development Center

Testimonials

“What an inspiration you are to all of us! Through music we try to make a difference. You are making a difference! Congratulations!”

Lynn Harrell, late cellist