"They Felt Human Again" — Paul Boisvert on Music, Dignity, and Seven Years Teaching Behind Bars

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of inTUNE, Dr. Melissa Martiros sits down with Paul Boisvert, a former student and long-time teaching artist with opporTUNEity, for a candid conversation about music education, identity, and what happens when classroom learning meets real-world engagement inside a correctional facility.Paul shares a journey that began with teaching himself Nirvana songs at 13, wound through music therapy and jazz performance, and included an unexpected personal connection to incarceration. As one of opporTUNEity's first student interns in 2019, he helped build the program from the ground up, eventually becoming a lead teaching artist who overhauled the curriculum and facilitated hundreds of sessions over seven years.He reflects on creating a classroom where incarcerated individuals feel treated as humans — where autonomy, humor, and creative expression replace the restrictions of daily life inside. From asking someone to sing their own words aloud, to watching families cry at end-of-semester showcases, Paul captures the deeply human pursuit at the heart of the work — and speaks honestly about what it gave him in return.Now pursuing a master's in music theory at UNC Greensboro with plans for a PhD, Paul looks back on seven years of gratitude, growth, and music as a verb.Episode Summary A compelling inside look at what it means to teach music in a correctional setting — and how that work transforms not just participants, but the educators who show up for them.Key ThemesMusic as a verb: creation over performanceThe formation of a teaching artistDignity, autonomy, and humanity in correctional educationEmpathy as a skill developed through community engagementThe bi-directional impact of service learningTransitioning from intern to leaderThe value of niche experience in building a music careerGratitude as a lasting legacy of the workThe Pulse Topic: What community engagement offers music students that classrooms cannotPaul's trajectory — from self-taught guitarist to teaching artist to graduate scholar — is a case study in what happens when students are given real responsibility in real spaces. He didn't just observe the program; he helped build it, adapt it, and lead it. That formation doesn't happen in a practice room.The modern music career demands flexibility, interpersonal fluency, and the ability to work across communities. Programs like opporTUNEity don't distract from that preparation — they accelerate it.Music Featured All music was written, performed, or produced by opporTUNEity students."Tears of a Clown" — December 2019 Songwriting Class; Carl, Travis, D'Angelo, Darrell, Angel, Jason, Kevin, John Wayne, Chris; Teaching Artists: Dan Thomas, Paul Boisvert"Changing My Ways" — Spring 2023; Marc Recor; Teaching Artists: Dan Thomas, Paul Boisvert, John Wayne Cormier; Vijay Gupta on Violin"Tattoos" — December 2021; CJ & Mosh; Teaching Artists: Dan Thomas, Paul Boisvert, Landon Chesney"Wish I May" — OpporTUNEity Songwriting Class (2021)Get in TouchSubmit questions or topics for future episodes at https://opporTUNEitymusic.org/intuneEpisode produced and edited by Angela Senicz.Learn more about our programs, stories, and community at https://opporTUNEitymusic.org