articles / Bay Area

Zuill Bailey on Playing Cello at San Quentin

Cellist Zuill Bailey performing at San Quentin State Prison | Photo by San Quentin News

“I want to know why I’m crying.” That’s a comment from a San Quentin inmate upon hearing Zuill Bailey play his cello. The power of music to touch hearts and souls is a universally-accepted mystery. Bailey, who performed in the prison’s chapel on June 9, revealed that he too is often moved to tears while playing, both in sadness and in joy. What a tremendous gift he gave to these guys on that day, and yet, he says, reaching out is as much for himself as it is for his audience. Read more.

Written by:
Dianne Nicolini
Dianne Nicolini
Published on 06.13.2019