Pop-up concert delights residents
A classical melodic surprise from a man called Dobbs
On Dec. 2, 2025, B-yard 506 housing staff in Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF) made an announcement: “There will be a concert in the dayroom in 10 minutes. If you would like to attend, come out.” I came out, wondering who would be here to perform on a Tuesday morning.
A lone man wearing all black entered the door with an instrument that was taller than him. And he was by no means a petite man. Richard Hartshorne AKA Dobbs, an older gentleman with a well-kept white beard, looked peaceful and nervous at the same time. He found an electrical outlet and quietly began setting up next to the phone booth.
Realizing that the dayroom was not set up appropriately for a concert, CCWF resident Virginia Backlund and I created an improvised concert area consisting of two half-moon rows of the unit’s light blue plastic dayroom chairs to enclose him.
“I wanted to make him feel comfortable and welcomed into our unit so he would be able to play some music for us,” Backlund said.
Curious residents trickled out of their rooms and into the hallways. Hartshorne was shaking out his arms as if he were preparing to run a marathon. As people entered the dayroom, he invited them to pull up their chairs — to come closer.
He then introduced himself to the residents.
“My name is Dobbs. I play the bass, and I’m here to play some music for you. You can watch my fingers, you can go to the beach, you can fall asleep,” he said.
Shortly after the performance began, Gladys Romero, a long-term resident, walked into the dayroom through the front door and was captivated.
“It took me off guard, but when I heard his song, I sat down when normally I would have walked away. It was so special because he came here with no judgment; it made me feel like I matter to someone,” Romero said.
Dobbs’ instrument, a bass violin from 1863, a cherished possession. He played Johann Sebastian Bach’s Suite No. 2, a classical composition. I soon realized why he had shaken out his arms. He played with focus for 15 minutes nonstop.
CCWF resident Laura Wenke said, “What a wonderful holiday treat! We can always hear popular music on the tablet, radio, or MP3 players, but it is a rare treat to hear classical music professionally performed.”
When Dobbs finished the Bach instrumental, there was applause and then absolute silence. No one spoke. No one moved from their seats. No one asked for an encore. But our silent pleas for an encore were bestowed.
Dobbs performed a musical piece about a turtle that disappeared as fast as a rabbit. It was a true story from his childhood. He sang of his sadness in German. He sang in French. Setting his enormous bass violin to the side, he rose from his seat and acted out the scene Broadway style.
Jamelia Calhoun, another long-term resident, said, “I think it was really awesome. It made me have joy and lift up my spirit.”
Dobbs finished with a lullaby that he wrote for his son. When he created this piece, he was in another country and longed to be close to his child. He sang in Pashtu — the national language of Afghanistan and widely spoken in Pakistan — and English.
When he sang the lullaby, resident Jennell Wright said, “It was soothing. It made me feel relaxed, it takes you to another place.”
Dobbs had a long, successful career as a classical musician. He said he turned 65 and then didn’t know what to do. Although he has played in other prisons in California, 2024 was his first time in CCWF.
Dobbs has played in Uganda, South Africa, Palestine, and was even invited to perform in Afghanistan. He said he realized the best audiences for music are in prison. He shook each one of our hands afterward. Everyone in attendance agreed that it was a wonderful experience.
