A very special evening with Michael Franti and Friends

Mary Youngblood is the premiere female Native American flute player in the country. Winner of numerous awards, she garnered the 2003 GRAMMY for Beneath the Raven Moon. She twice received Flutist of the Year along with Best Female Artist from the Native American Music Awards for her other releases. When Mary lets the wind flow through her Native American flutes the result is always one of beauty and joy. Inspired by the wisdom of nature, Mary writes: "The trees have given a voice to me, the voice that sings to you now." Her eclectic musical style evokes feelings of freedom, and gratitude for the blessings of life.

Click Here to see pictures from the June 30th Benefit Concert for ICF

For Immediate Release;
April 19 2005
Open Door Production Presents

"See You in the Light"
A very special evening with Michael Franti and Friends
A Benefit Concert for the Inside Circle Foundation's
New Folsom Prison Outreach Program


Michael Franti, musician, poet, and social activist will perform a benefit concert for The Inside Circle Foundation's "New Folsom Prison" Outreach Program.

Franti and Friends will feature the benefit in Grass Valley on June 30th at the Grass Valley Veteran's Hall starting at 7:00 P.M.

Michael Franti brings hope and inspiration to a new generation. His songs are genuine and profound. San Francisco-based Franti and Spearhead have released a series of thought provoking and rhythmically infectious albums. The music combines elements of rock chords, reggae, dance hall, funk and hip hop beats while retaining a distinctive 21st century world-wise sound. Franti's work also explores spirituality, community, and connectedness with others.

Franti, known for his involvement in social reform issues, agreed to assist the Inside Circle Foundation after meeting Executive Director, Robert Allbee, at a performance for inmates inside New Folsom Prison, (California State Prison-Sacramento) for a National Broadcast event November 23- 2005. The concert, compared to the show performed by Johnny Cash forty years ago, was a grand success produced by KVMR and supported by the prison Administration and the Arts-In-Corrections Program.

Warden Kernan opened the door for the music and poetry of Michael Franti that he uses to bring human connectedness to all people of color, race and religion, to share with the prison population of 3,500 prisoners. The administration of CSP-SAC has graciously given an enlightened path for change within the human existence. With the involvement of Michael Franti and ICF there is hope for change in the prison system and to model what can exist inside a prison with programs.

Quoting from an inmate who wrote to thank Michael after attending the performance in the prison, "I could go on forever thanking you guys, but that's not why you came. I listen to your songs with much more love now. I was truly impressed with the amount of class you showed to Rob Allbee and what he lives for. That was real big Michael. That man is due the utmost amount of respect and you gave it to him. In doing that you gave it to us as well. I have been involved with Inside Circle since the early days. I remember when the only reason it was safe is because Rob loved us more than he loved himself. You came in here and made me feel that much love for you. Good on you Man!"

ICF, an independent non-profit organization, has been working inside the prison for ten years providing inmates with programs to help create change in their lives. The outreach programs, sponsored by the Catholic Ministry, focus mainly on intensive men's inter-faith support groups and creative writing tools aimed at men of all color and religious backgrounds. Allbee, an ex-convict/addict himself and author of 3 books of poetry/prose, some written in prison, says, "We as citizens can no longer pretend that the enormous problems in the prisons in our country don't affect us. The costs in dollars alone, let alone the human carnage and suffering for everyone involved are problems we can no longer afford to ignore. We have to get involved. We can't wait for our government to deal with this in a humane way. Our politicians have, so far, relinquished theirs hearts and souls in fear of reprisals from powerful prison unions and their financial/political clout. Our prison budget is so enormous that there are only five other countries in the world who's entire federal budget is larger! Tragically, as well, most of us consider people in prison as unsalvageable. I know God doesn't and neither should we. In our programs, men discover for themselves that we all basically want the same things in life; love, purpose, hope and value. They learn trust when they find the courage to dig deep into their own suffering, share it, and find they are not the only ones' doing so. Through hard work they explore and begin to understand the wounds that created the circumstances that brought them to prison if the first place. Only then can their lives begin to really change. They realize that they can have access to a unique spiritual gift that they themselves, and the people around them, desperately need. Again, it's about love, purpose, hope and value, what we all need. And, most importantly, they learn that they can't truly have these gifts, unless we all can."

The concert, featuring Franti and Friends will be preceded by a presentation by Allbee about the work ICF has been doing in the prison and their vision. Allbee has invited former convicts from the programs, now paroled, to perform poetry and spoken word pieces during the show. Special highlights of the evening will include recorded video of the prison poetry program and music performed by the men in "The Road".

A silent auction will be conducted the night of the event.

An art show will be presented featuring the Artist of New Folsom Prison. The Art show will continue for one month at The Flying Hare Gallery, 102 Mill St., Grass Valley

Please bring a flower of your choice to the event.....your dancing souls and open hearts.

This will be a memorable evening for uplifting the imprisoned and bringing us all, "Into The Light".

www.insidecircle.org
www.prisonwings.org