Veteran's Day 2024
As we honor and celebrate those who've stood in harm's way on our behalf today, I'd love to highlight a great program that uses songwriting as a tool to help our vets healing the less-visible wounds and scars of service and sacrifice. My friend Mack Bailey has devoted his life and musical career to Music Therapy Retreats (formerly Music Therapy of the Rockies), holding retreats all over the country to bring vets and songwriter partners together in comfortable settings.
MTR is saving lives with songs by helping people with trauma, especially veterans, find healing through music therapy. I'm humbled to have had songs on the first two volumes of the Stories and Songs from the Farm compilations, and grateful to Mack for letting me share freely for a few days "Life I Choose," my co-write with Kevin that appears on the brand new Volume 3 released today. The 11 songs include the work of some amazing fellow songwriters like Mark Erelli, Buddy Mondlock and Neale Eckstein.
Veterans Day is especially significant in my wife's family. My late father-in-law served during the first year of the Korean War, including in the 2nd Infantry Division's horrific escape from Kunu-ri. While I didn't know him for very long (he was in the VA hospital and passed away only a couple years after my wife and I married), throughout life he didn't say much about his experiences but he certainly bore the burden. It has been a big part of my ancestry work to understand better the nature of his experiences as an 18-year old; the more that I learn, the more I understand the tremendous importance of the aftercare our veterans receive.
As a kid I had older friends who'd served in Vietnam, friendships I still treasure - and learn from today. Through my work with MTR I've gotten to know vets who've been in Iraq and Afghanistan. To each of you, to each of my family and friends who've served, and to all who've worn the uniform and written the blank check for me and my family, thank you so much for your service and sacrifice.
MTR's biggest fundraiser of the year launches today, Veterans Day, coinciding with a quarter page ad in USA Today in hopes of expanding to more areas of the country to serve more of our vets. In addition to our collective gratitude, your donation gets you Stories and Songs from the Farm, Vol. 3 (including "Life I Choose") and access to brand new merchandise like stickers, shirts, and more. Every gift will have an impact, such as putting a guitar in a veteran's hands or covering the cost of a retreat for six veterans, and you will know what your gift has done. I'm looking forward to another collaboration next May at an MTR retreat in Holly Springs NC.
Please learn more about MTR’s mission at https://musictherapyretreats.org/stories-songs-vol3/
And to hear my recording of “Life I Choose” this week only, https://youtu.be/wZMWYVAslQo; it goes dark this coming Sunday November 17th.
#StoriesAndSongsVol3 #MusicTherapyRetreats #MusicHeals #SavingLivesWithSong #VeteransDay