ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - On Sunday night, we told you about the Lima Symphony Orchestra's history-making performance at Allen Oakwood Correctional Institute. Some of the inmates not only enjoyed the performance, but they were part of it.
For Kevin Karszewski, this was a moment that was a long time coming for members of the choir at Allen Oakwood Correctional Institute. They were preparing to perform the Battle Hymn of the Republic a few years ago, but...
"Unfortunately, COVID hit, and we weren't able to perform it. I remember practicing it when Kevin (Kohler) was here teaching it to us, and I am really looking forward to being able to finally perform that song," says Kevin Karszewski, inmate and pianist for the church choir and praise team band at Allen Oakwood Correctional Institute.
And perform they did. The 100-man choir, made up of inmates and staff, sang together with the Lima Symphony Orchestra on a history-making day, becoming the first whole orchestra in Ohio history to perform inside a state prison.
But for some inmates like Karszewski, music is a blessing year-round, especially when he performs with the prison's church choir.
"I have been in this prison about 21 years. I was involved in church ministries before, music ministries. Not to the extent that I am involved now. I am currently the lead pianist for our church choir and praise team band that we have," adds Karszewski.
The Symphony's Sunday performance was a continuation of their "Healing Through Music" program, which they started in 2018, and people at Allen Oakwood Correctional said not only did the performance help brighten the inmates' day, but it also broke down some misconceptions about prison life.
"I think that prison is often misrepresented in our society; you know, people only know what they see in movies and reality TV about prison, and that is normally the extremes that normal prison is not like. So when they get to see some of the great things we are doing here to expand everybody culturally and to bring things like this in, I think that it gives people a different perspective on what prison life is actually like for us," says Jeff Hawkins, Stephen Minister and crisis counselor at Allen Oakwood Correctional Institute.
The Lima Symphony Orchestra is glad to have had the opportunity to share the joy of music for the past 6 years with the inmates, and they are looking forward to many more years to come.
"I really think the important part of it is just that they know that we value them so much and we want to be here. If you can't come to us, we will bring the music to you," says Elizabeth Brown-Ellis, executive director of the Lima Symphony Orchestra.
