Documentary songwriting in prison: ‘I am good ‘bout myself’

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of prison residents’ songwriting experiences while engaged in Documentary Songwriters (DocSong) collaborative songwriting pedagogy. The research implemented a qualitative, case study portraiture design inside a prison in which the experiences of an individual ‘story source’ and group were explored. Key themes originated from the observational, spoken, audio-recorded and sung data procured from a week-long DocSong workshop. The songwriting participants and facilitator created a community that transformed the prison space into an environment in which the residents experienced individual actualization and collective liberation and liberated and restorative music creativity. The songwriting community members shared personal narratives that were replete with emotion, while also demonstrating and supporting each other’s emotional vulnerability and resilience. The group collaboratively created songs from spoken word using the DocSong approach, forming a strong emotional bond throughout the songwriting process. The individuals’ interactions within the group suggested that confidence, patience and the willingness to share were also practised within the songwriting context.