Angela Yarnell

MEMT 898
Daugherty
Fall 2009

Research Analysis 2

Cohen, M.L. (2008). "Mother Theresa, how can I help you?:" The story of Elvera Voth, Robert
Shaw, and the Bethel College Benefit Sing-Along for Arts in Prison, Inc. International
Journal of Research in Choral Singing, Vol. 3 (1), 4-22.

Purpose of the study: This historical study recounts the thirty-year friendship of legendary
choral directors Robert Shaw and Elvera Voth and their final joint event of a community sing-
along to raise funds and awareness for a prison-based choir begun by Voth.

Research questions posed:

• What is the historical context that led to this event?
• Why was the fall of 1998 at Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas the ideal setting for
this community sing-along that sought to raise funds for Arts in Prison?
• What events led to Voth’s formation of a prison choir and how did she make it a
successful venture?
• What beliefs about the value of singing did Shaw hold that led him to agree to appear as
guest conductor at this event?
• How did the musical upbringing, backgrounds, and careers of both Voth and Shaw
contribute to the organization and success of the community sing-along event?
• What were the long-term effects of this event?

Primary methodology of the study: historical

Types of Data Collection: interviews, correspondence, financial documents, books,

dissertations, video of event, personal interviews, programs, newspaper accounts, unpublished
artifacts

Primary sources: video of event, personal interviews, programs, financial documents, and
unpublished artifacts

Methodology: The author explored the research questions by studying the above primary
sources, as well as books and dissertations that were related to the historical context of this event
and the friendship of Shaw and Voth.

Conclusions:
The most remarkable aspect of this event is that two classically trained choral conductors with a
history of refined music making found tremendous value in the extra musical benefits that choral
singing could provide to inmates. Maestro Shaw saw participation in choral singing as a means
of healing and giving identity to the disenfranchised and joined Voth in her efforts to bring the
glory of choral singing to this population.

The community of Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas was an ideal location for the
community sing-along because of the rich Mennonite singing tradition and a community history
of political activism. Students of Bethel College had a history of involvement in pacifist causes
and had many opportunities to study the humanities and their applications as part of their course
work.

Voth was raised in a German Mennonite family and was surrounded by singing and music her
entire life. Shaw was a child of a musical family that performed together throughout his
childhood, becoming known as the “Singing Shaws”. Their interests led them both to choose
choral conducting as a career, and Voth came to admire Shaw’s work. After meeting him at a
workshop, Voth convinced Shaw to come teach at the Alaska Festival of Music and prepared the
choruses for him at the Festival for many years, during which time they formed a close
relationship full of mutual admiration and respect. As Voth entered retirement, she decided she
wanted to bring arts to those who perhaps needed its gifts the most, and set about organizing the
East Hill Singers for the population of the Lansing Correctional Facility. When they first
performed in public with added singers from the Rainbow Mennonite Church and the Lyric
Opera of Kansas City, the bond that the choir members had formed with each other was evident
to all present. This initial success led Voth to organize a program that would offer arts
opportunities to the inmates of correctional facilities and began to devise ways to raise monies
for her vision.

Shaw viewed the arts as a critical component to human life, stating that they make intellectual,
ethical, and spiritual contributions to the human species. He heard about and became interested
in Voth’s prison choir and wanted to know how he could help raise funds to support it and
further efforts to bring the arts into prisons. Voth suggested a benefit sing-along, and although
Shaw was skeptical, he agreed to the gathering. There were 1,275 people at the sing-along and
the mass choir consisted of fifteen regional choruses combined, for a total of 450 voices. The
benefit raised $25,000 for Arts in Prison, Inc.

Several professors at Bethel College who were in attendance were so moved by the experience
that they begun their own arts in prison classes, including drama, poetry, and another choir. Four
years later, Bethel College organized a Prison Arts Symposium on campus for 150 attendees.
Arts in Prison, Inc. now offers a wide variety of classes for inmates in three units with over 45
volunteer teachers. Even without these lasting long-term effects or the money raised at the
benefit sing-along, the event can be considered a success because it helped redirect attention to
the positive value of each person and the humanity within us all.

Recommendations for future research: long lasting effects of Arts in Prison, Inc. and similar
programs

Evaluation/assessment of the integrity and importance of this research study: This study
clearly and systematically documents a rare and meaningful event that led to the formation of an
entirely new program for rehabilitating inmates. The details provide a model for possible similar
events with other celebrity conductors and give meaningful testimony as to its worth and value
for inmates, other choir members, and audience members.

Generalization/transfer possibilities:
As a teacher in a public school system, I am always amazed at the great social and emotional
needs of our students and parents. Many of our teens and parents, for that matter, are at high risk
of making choices that will lead to incarceration. The Mennonite view expressed in this study
that the arts are a way of sustaining humanity is of great interest to me as a choral director. The
art of singing is often approached from the aesthetic view of music for music’s sake, and there is
a place for aesthetic education in choral classrooms. However, one’s job is not only to educate
students and community, but also to help improve student life. This study highlighted how choral
singing positively affected the lives of prisoners after incarceration and acted as a rehabilitation
tool. A natural transfer then, is to consider how events such as the community sing-along in
Newton, Kansas and participation in arts in general could act in a proactive and preventative
manner for our students at-risk.

The Kansas Board of Education only requires one arts credit to graduate from high school. The
board recommends that this credit be in the fine art areas of drama, visual arts, or performing arts
and lists possible classes that might fulfill this requirement. However, there is no clear mandate
for what classes can and cannot be considered as fulfilling the fine art credit. In some districts,
including Eudora where I teach, Spanish, drafting, and even some technology classes count as a
fine arts credit for graduation. This study makes the argument that participation in arts is a
valuable rehabilitative tool. If the transfer can then be made that arts experiences could be a
valid preventative tool for the at-risk population, research in this area is necessary to make a
convincing argument to the local school board to align our graduation requirements with the
suggested requirements outlined by the Kansas Board of Education.