- A recording component of the OpporTUNEity program allows former inmates to stay connected to music.
- Melissa Martiros is the founder and executive director of OpporTUNEity, which was founded in 2013.
- In 2019, OpporTUNEity partnered with the Worcester County Jail & House of Correction to provide songwriting classes in the facility.
Inside the Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross, music magic is happening. But this isn’t just any recording session — it is a unique component of the OpporTUNEity program that allows former inmates to stay connected to music and use skills they developed while incarcerated at the Worcester County Jail & House of Correction.
On this day, John Wayne Cormier Jr., Marc Recor and Travis (last name withheld) are recording vocals for “Wish I May,” an original song of hope, redemption and better times to come. Written during the pilot session of OpporTUNEity at the jail back in 2019, the song is a testament to the power of music to help transform lives not only in the moment but also beyond.
Over several hours, the three men recorded multiple versions of the song, individually and together, with a backing track under the guidance of Harman Kaler, teaching artist for OpporTUNEity, and Matthew Freije, a pro audio/video supervisor at the Prior Performing Arts Center. The files were then sent to Dan DeCristofaro, another of OpporTUNEity’s teaching artists, who produced the vocals into a fully arranged song that is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes and Amazon Music…