NIAGARA network
Helping People Move Forward with Their Lives.
Finding Peace Through Music
By Vinny Stefanelli, Director Music for Veterans
T
his year marks the 7th year of Music
for Veterans serving veterans of all
ages throughout our community. The
organization was founded with the goal of
addressing the epidemic of veteran suicides
reported each day. It’s a known fact that
each day approximately 20 veterans commit
suicide, but did you know that more than 50
percent of all veterans
who die from suicide are
50 years of age or older?
A large percentage of
the Music for Veterans
are in that vulnerable
demographic and many of them from the
Vietnam-era, who have slipped through the
cracks of the social safety net.
Since the World War II, there has been an
interest in helping veterans through music,
and recently that interest has been renewed
with the potential of music to rehabilitate the
young men and women returning from Iraq
and Afghanistan, many of whom are suffering
post-traumatic stress and physical injuries.
When transitioning to civilian life, many
veterans experience loneliness, depression,
and a loss of self-identity. Combat veterans
often suffer physical and emotional injuries
or the effects of Post Traumatic Stress (PTS).
These issues can lead to life long problems
of chronic pain, drug addiction, depression,
broken families, homelessness or suicide.
Music provides a release of tension and
stress, and can also address the physical,
emotional, cognitive, and social needs of our
veterans. From the beginnings of the Music
for Veterans program, we’ve seen how music
can transform the lives of our participants.
Of course, there are many benefits found in
simply listening to music; but singing and
playing a musical instrument offers great
opportunities for personal growth and healing
as well as growing and strengthening social
interactions and friendships.
Playing a musical instrument for even just
a few minutes a day is enough to create a
dramatic improvement in a person’s life and
Music for Veterans offers a fun and effective
approach to addressing Veterans service
related issues and attaining some peace in
their lives.
So, we started with the simple idea
of providing veterans with a creative
environment of weekly music sessions to
diminish their anxieties while rebuilding
their confidence and pride.
Music is only one part of the formula. An
extremely important element of the Music
for Veterans program is the environment
of camaraderie. No one understands a
veteran like a fellow veteran. In between
playing songs, there are opportunities
for conversations where our participants
communicate with other veterans who
may be facing some of the same issues
of reintegrating into civilian life. The
camaraderie that exists in the Music for
Veterans program is precisely the kind of
support that is needed for veterans.
Furthermore, the veterans are encouraged
to write songs and share their music with
their fellow participants as well as with family
and friends, which means that the benefits of
the program extend beyond the participants
and well into the community. We participate
in veteran and community events where we
have an opportunity to demonstrate the skills
we’ve developed with live performances
throughout the region.
The Music for Veterans program is open
to all Veterans or active Military Personnel.
If you can’t afford an instrument we provide
one. If you don’t play, we teach you.
You can find us at
www.Music4Veterans.org, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/MusicForVetsErie or
@Music4Veterans on Twitter.com. Join us!
Continued on next page >
MILLCREEK
❘
SUMMER 2018
69