Music as Salvation
At the 30A Songwriters Festival, music meets no boundaries; for some, it’s the only thing that still feels like freedom
I have lived in this flourishing beach town for eight years, and I have never had the opportunity to attend the 30A Songwriters Festival—until this year.
I attended in hopes of being a part of something unique and discovering a new favorite artist. But afterward, what I felt was a much larger sense of humanity. It wasn’t just the music that got me, it was the stories. And it wasn’t just the stories, but the people behind them.
The 30A Songwriters Festival is a favorite time of the year for many, and now I know why. The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (CAA) saw the benefits of this festival long before I came to know it, too.
CAA is a local arts agency that supports the arts through leadership, advocacy, funding, programs, and education. The CAA envisions a thriving Walton County where everyone experiences the power of the arts. Its mission is to foster creativity in Walton County through the inclusive and collaborative advancement of the arts.
The CAA’s Prison Art Program began in 2020 through a collaboration with Restorative Justice volunteers Libby Fisher and Erica Averion. The two were actively and regularly volunteering with the residents of Walton Correctional Institution (WCI) and were aware of the need for arts engagement and resources within the prison system.
A songwriting and music initiative, Beyond Bars, was designed to bring creative expression into correctional facilities. The program operates under the belief that storytelling through music can offer a form of redemption, self-reflection, and emotional release for incarcerated individuals.
Led by professional musicians and songwriters, Beyond Bars provides prisoners with songwriting workshops where they can learn to craft lyrics, structure melodies, and tell their own stories through music. Many of these participants have never written a song before, yet when given the tools and encouragement, they find a voice they never knew they had.
The CAA’s work, through Beyond Bars and beyond, is a testament to the transformative power of the arts. It serves as a reminder that music isn’t just entertainment, it’s a lifeline.
During my first show of the night at the 30A Songwriters Festival, my hopes for what this experience could be were already blown out of the water. These artists had soul in their work that made you want to know them and be a part of what they were doing. What I didn’t expect was to be sitting in the presence of two artists, David and Anna Borné.
They told stories about working with inmates through the Beyond Bars program—helping them craft their own songs, pulling melodies out of memories most of us would rather forget.
It takes special people to look past what you’ve done or where you are and focus on where you are trying to go. The Bornés do more than songwriting, they help change and reshape the inmate experience.
The husband-wife duo puts in the work, too. At the festival, they shared some of their most raw, unfiltered songs with a very lucky crowd. I glanced around and saw that I wasn’t the only one swallowing a lump in my throat.
I certainly left that room with a different perspective and immense respect. I walked into the remainder of the festival with fresh ears, realizing that every song has a story behind it. Some are written in sleepless Nashville studios, some on the backs of napkins, and some behind cold steel bars where music is the only thing that still feels like freedom.
So, if you ever find yourself at the 30A Songwriters Festival, I challenge you to do yourself a favor. Go beyond the familiar songs, past the band you’ve seen a time or two already, and don’t stick to any plan. Find the people who believe that music isn’t just for amusement, it’s some people’s salvation.
That’s what I found this year, and I know I’ll never forget it.
