Getting ready for performance tomorrow at Howard Street prison, otherwise known as Western MA. Correctional Alcohol Center in Springfield. I’ve been working with the women population for a number of weeks. We’ve written 3 songs together which we will perform adding on one more from the last songwriting healing program I facilitated there…Flying With Broken Wings. Such a beautiful song.
Here’s the chorus:
Everything is broken, Can I mend these broken things, it’s up to me to find a way out of here, to fly with broken wings, to fly with broken wings.
These women in prison are my favorite people to work with. They are so appreciative. For the most part their voices have been silenced, so this is a rare opportunity for them to tell their story with the magical ingredient of music.. Tomorrow they will get to sing out loud in front of the whole prison, the men included. Writing the songs and singing them these past weeks is empowering enough but being able to sing them in front of an audience and one there a little fearful of (the ment) is going to keep them up for days on a natural high. This program gives them a sense of accomplishment and how to build community. This will stay with them when they get out, especially when they all get the CD of the songs they themselvs have written. It’s one thing to have the community of prison life but to create and hear your words put to music helps you to realize that although your story may have different nuances many of the themes are the same and we can all build on these common bonds. There is so much hurt and pain out there. I am honored to be able to do some small part in helping people that have been so damaged, find joy and a key to their own healing capabilities. If I had a wish it would be that everybody in the whole world was writing their stories in song or painting them in pictures, or writing books about them and at least being able to come together in some type of harmony. I really believe that if this could take place we would be too busy making art to be making stupid war on each other. War…what is it good for…absolutely nothing. And that is the long and short of it …the truth. One war begets another war and so on and so forth. We live in negative peace for a few years, but there is never really any true social justice, not in this country not in other countries although I think some do try. There is enough to go around for everyone but greedies got the gimmies (Barenstain Bears anyone.) Ok enough about that. We all know the score and what’s going on.
The women will perform in front of the whole prison population including the guys, I think I said that….oh wow, they are so scared. I told them they have to do it to show the guys that they are powerful and can not just be kicked around…not that anyone does that inside but you can imagine what some of the guys are in for. One day I will have the nerve to work with them. Just don’t know how much I could work with a pedophile. I don’t think there is a cure for that ailment. Anyway, it’s going to be awesome. I’ll just have to keep reminding the women how jealous the guys will be that they didn’t have a program like this. The songs are powerful.

Then Saturday I play in Worcester at a store called That’s Entertainment for National Record Store Day. I go on at 3:00PM in case any of you in that area are reading this.

Another thing going on is that I’m creating a new website. It will have links to everything I do. One stop shopping. My new friend Jayne, is helping to put this website together. I began teaching her guitar and after a short time she began writing songs. I can’t stop singing her songs. Then she asked me if I’d like her to do a new website for me with everything on it. There is still randomrogue.com/robinlane but a lot of this site will soon probably transfer over to the new site. robinlanerocks.com I’m sure webmaster Roy Rubinstein will be relieved to not have to do the upkeep. I will be able to do it myself. Learning as I go.