Guitars in prison
The prisoner guitar
The Alhambra Guitars Foundation considers as one of its main purposes: The social promotion of vulnerable groups through music in general, and the world of Spanish guitar in particular.
This solidarity, social purpose is present in our ethical decalogue and that is why we undertake and will undertake actions that make it possible for music and the guitar to improve people's lives.
The guitar is the best known and closest instrument that exists. This allows it to be present in a multitude of countries, environments and groups. On the other hand, the therapeutic capacity of music is demonstrated with scientific studies that support the benefits for the individual of listening, playing, enjoying music...
Aware of this, Guitarras Alhambra began 10 years ago, in a school in Alicante with a large presence of students at risk of social exclusion, the project: Guitars at School. The enormous social benefits that have been achieved encourage us to continue insisting on this social line.
During this year, 2024, we have made contact and held several meetings with the teachers of the adult school at the Picassent penitentiary center.
From all of this, a novel and unique project has emerged that we believe can be very important for the lives of inmates during their period of confinement: Guitars in Prison.
An idea that is based on bringing the guitar to them and encouraging them to put their hobby into practice, allowing them to take regular classes that serve their musical training, an activity that will undoubtedly result in their positive reintegration and better vision of life.
On June 11 and 13 we started the project by carrying out the following activities:
Day 11: Talk about guitar construction and acoustics in the preventive and compliance pavilion.
Day 13: Educational concert by the flamenco guitarist: José Antonio Santos “El minero”.
These activities have helped us introduce the project to the inmate community and assess the best way to implement this guitar “school” in the prison.
