海角论坛

As a professional musician, is accustomed to instant feedback from the audience while performing. But writing a book is different. The response to it takes time.

So, Harbert didn鈥檛 truly understand how his book, Instrument of the State: A Century of Music in Louisiana鈥檚 Angola Prison, would be received publicly until recently. 

This past year, Harbert, a professor of music and chair of the Department of Performing Arts in the 海角论坛 of Arts & Sciences, won three prestigious awards for the book, which was published in 2023: the , the and the .

鈥淓ach one has meant something different,鈥� Harbert said of the awards. 鈥淚t is certainly validating when you get a response from a book.鈥�

Instrument of the State chronicles more than a century of musical history from incarcerated individuals at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly known as 鈥淎ngola鈥� in reference to the country of origin for many of the enslaved people who lived on the former plantation. The penitentiary still exists today and is the largest maximum-security prison in the U.S. with thousands of inmates.聽

In the book, Harbert pieces together oral history and archival research to show how incarcerated individuals at the prison have found rare creative expression and a limited experience of freedom through music.

鈥淚t gives us an opportunity to think of prison as a disorganized, haphazard, conditional and historical institution,鈥� he said.

The Society for American Music annually gives out the Irving Lowens Book Award for the book it judges as the best in the field of American music. The organization praised Instrument of the State for its 鈥渃ompelling narrative鈥� that centers the voices of incarcerated musicians. 

鈥淚t opens the door to a musical world long hidden from view and prompts readers to 鈥榣isten longer鈥� to the message of Angola Prison鈥檚 musical presence,鈥� in its announcement.

The recognition meant a lot to Harbert. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 regarded as the biggest prize in the study of American music,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o that feels good.鈥�

Each year, the American Musicological Society honors a book of 鈥渆xceptional merit that both illuminates some important aspect of the music of the United States and places that music in a rich cultural context鈥� with the Music in American Culture Award.

The organization鈥檚 awards committee wrote that, 鈥淏y placing familiar stories in new contexts, we come to understand the powerful role(s) music can play in an oppressive system. Instrument of the State matters in ways subtle and profound. It challenges us to rethink old myths about the authenticity of Black music and it brings us face to face with the abomination of justice that is the American prison system.鈥�

For Harbert, that award meant that his book was 鈥渁pproachable and resonant beyond the academic impact.鈥�

鈥淢y colleague in the History Department gives everybody this advice: write for humans,鈥� Harbert said. 鈥淪o to get that prize meant that I had followed John鈥檚 advice.鈥�

The Portia K. Maultsby Prize, given out by the Society of Ethnomusicology 鈥渞ecognizes the most distinguished English-language monograph in the field of ethnomusicology, with the focus being African American music and/or Black music of the diaspora.鈥�

The organization鈥檚 awards committee wrote that Harbert 鈥渁pproaches this project with more care and substance, doing extensive archival research and interviews and giving honor and dignity to his conversation partners, and thereby producing a book that will have reverberations across and beyond the field.鈥�

Chloe Hornbostel (C鈥�26), a government major and music minor who took Harbert鈥檚 American music ethnography and rock history courses, called the book an 鈥渆ye-opening read.鈥� 

鈥淚t played a large role in my understanding and appreciation of music’s ability to carry significant historical weight,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he book taught me more about the ways in which culture and expression persist in spite of social or legal hindrances.鈥�

Harbert said that winning the three awards reinforced to him that the musicians鈥� stories mattered and that they鈥檙e part of the American story. After learning of each award, he would send updates to the incarcerated musicians at Angola.

Myron Hodges, a guitarist for the Angola Big River Band, wrote in one of the book鈥檚 foreword that he was 鈥渄eeply honored鈥� to be a part of Instrument of the State.

鈥�Instrument of the State is like no other book I鈥檝e read about Angola because it doesn鈥檛 stereotype its subjects,鈥� Hodges wrote. 鈥淚nstead, it focuses on the musical history and the endeavors of men serving time, those of us who seek to achieve a sense of purpose, meaning, peace and normalcy in our lives, using our musical abilities to captivate the hearts and minds of our audiences and our keepers.鈥�