Carnegie Hall has released a new collection of videos featuring original music by participants and alumni of to celebrate its 15-year residency at Sing Sing Correctional Facility.

The Sing Sing Voices playlists feature video reflections from members of the Musical Connections artistic community, along with introductions by Common, Joyce DiDonato, and Arturo O’Farrill—all of whom are collaborated with the men in Musical Connections. The three playlists feature recorded performances of nearly 50 original songs spanning classical, jazz, blues, gospel, reggae, hip-hop, and more.

Ivan, a former participant at Sing Sing who is now a member of the Musical Connections Advisory Committee, said in a press release, “This body of music is also about the joy of change. People have an idea, I think, of what type of music or what type of art people on the inside make. And they’ve got it wrong. The music inside is celebratory. It’s joyous. And it’s not because people are celebrating their conditions. They’re not celebrating the fact that they’ve committed crimes … But it’s an opportunity—a very rare opportunity—to pour some light into the world.”

Over the course of Carnegie Hall’s partnership with New York State Department of Correction, more than 300 original pieces have been composed by program participants. The Musical Connections Ensemble have collaborated in concerts with opera stars such as Joyce DiDonato and Rhiannon Giddens.

Joyce DiDonato said, “I think anyone who listens to the Sing Sing Voices playlists will be moved by the honesty, vulnerability, and artistry expressed through the men’s creative work. I’ve been amazed—and often transformed—by the extraordinary experience of making music alongside the Musical Connections program participants since my first visit to Sing Sing in 2015. I imagine listeners will feel that same impact.”

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