There is little that is more unique than a prison choir performing outside of the walls. The East Hill Singers have been doing just that since 1996. They were the subject of the documentary Conducting hope, they have appeared all over the world, pre-recorded, as part of Heart Beat Opera's production of Fidelio and have performed from Mission to Wichita.

Supported by the men who volunteer their time to the choir the inmate singers learn more than music, they function as a team with accountability to each other. They bravely try new things in much the same way as they will have to craft new lives when they return to society. Being welcome as artists, as humans and given the opportunity to connect goes a long way toward setting their mindset for return. Almost everyone currently incarcerated will return to our communities. In the words of Elvera, "Do you want them to return with hate in their hearts or hope in their eyes?"