Breaking Barriers: Music as an Instrument for Rehabilitation and Societal Change
In Spring 2026, five undergraduates from the Eastman School of Music and Assoc. Professor Elinor Freer participated in “Breaking Barriers,” an innovative project behind the walls of the Monroe County Jail in Rochester, NY. Join Freer to hear about how incarcerated individuals from the Men’s Rehab Unit used the versatile Hyperscore software program to compose short pieces for string quartet and percussion, culminating in a final performance of these new compositions for their peers and jail staff. Learn about the effects, outcomes and future plans for this initiative.