Alina Bloomgarden is teaching the universal language of music to bring hope back into the lives of incarcerated individuals who are often forgotten.

“The music is the means and the important thing is our human connection and validation."

That's the key for Bloomgarden, a Manhattan woman who worked at the Lincoln Center for over 20 years. For the last five, she has been harnessing the transformative power of music in a totally new way.

It was the story of Louis Armstrong that originally inspired Bloomgarden. As a teen, the jazz icon served time -- and the band he joined while incarcerated would go on to change his life. It made Bloomgarden wonder.

“And I thought, what are we doing today for incarcerated youth and adults?" she said.

Bloomgarden admits she knew nothing about criminal justice. She simply knew music could change lives.

“People who are incarcerated are often reinforced with this idea of inadequacy and it’s a punitive environment. You come into a room, and you play music together and you’re just human beings making music and that sense of presence and human connection, heart-to-heart human connection, is so needed," said Bloomgarden.

Her nonprofit is called Music on the Inside. It began at Riker’s Island mentoring youth through singing and songwriting classes. Local artists joined -- to teach and share their love for music. From there, the program quickly expanded to include adults and three other facilities across New York state, touching 500 lives.

“It was the effect of the program. How little it took through music to make human connection," Bloomgarden said.

Just like so many other organizations, Music on the Inside was affected by the pandemic. But the forced transition to remote technology took a twist. The program was able to grow, 250 artists joined the cause.

“When COVID started and we had to pivot, we couldn’t work in the prisons anymore but we were immediately able to pivot to support people in reentry," she said.

Using zoom, musicians were individually paired with candidates to teach music lessons, while also mentoring with resumes, job search, and the challenges of incarceration. And on Sunday nights, a zoom concert brings together students and professional performers.

“Their compassion and empathy for those impacted by incarceration also drives my passion to keep this work going.”

For Bloomgarden, it’s hard to say who gains more from Music on the Inside. One thing she knows for sure, the program will continue to expand across the nation bringing so much to those who are often forgotten.

“We all need human connection. And honestly, I’ve come to feel that people who are incarcerated are sometimes more available. So they give back to us as much as we give to them," she said.

For unlocking the power of music, Alina Bloomgarden is our New Yorker of the Week.