For years, the importance of arts programs in public education has been the subject of debate, but James Torres thinks he’s solved the problem once and for all. In his impassioned presentation, James describes how being exposed to music while incarcerated gave him a new purpose, a new passion, and a new career path. He advocates that the all-important STEM programs that we know and value should be edited just slightly to include art and be forever known as STEAM programs. James Torres participates in Sing Sing’s Carnegie Hall music program. James taught himself music, which he used as a form of therapy to get through hard times. Today, his compositions have been played at Carnegie Hall, and his writings have been published on the online publishing platform The Medium, and the online magazine The Margins. He is currently working with the Jeptha Group, a not-for-profit organization that uses music therapy to help inmate populations that struggle with mental illness. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
