Veterans healing through music

The Wounded Warrior Project is helping veterans restore their feeling of purpose, which is often lost after returning from overseas.

“There is no doubt in my mind that music is therapy,” said Danny Pitcher, a music teacher with the Wounded Warrior Project.

Pitcher says, for many veterans medication isn’t always the answer.

“Whenever I start to get going, the world starts spinning, I just can’t stop it. So I can go play my guitar or i can take medication,” said Jason Willis.

Willis suffers from severe PTSD, but he says his guitar is a powerful tool helping relieve the hidden wounds you can’t see.

“I used to be on a lot of medications. I’ve been able to cut back quite a bit, I’m only on a few now. It helps me. If i wake up from a nightmare and I can’t sleep, I can go down in the basement and play the guitar,” said Willis.

“Emotionally it’s fun, you get to put in reality what you’re feeling. Just start strumming and picking strings, you actually get to hear what you’re brain is telling you,” said Matthew Lehmann.

“The vibration of the guitar and playing it, it has such a soothing effect on your mind. We play music, we laugh, we argue, we cry if we need to,” said Lehmann.

Pitcher has made the idea a reality in Colorado Springs.

“They left some of themselves over there and it’s my job to make them realize it’s still there, it’s just buried beneath some stress,” said Pitcher.

If you’d like to learn more about the music class, contact your local Wounded Warrior Project office.
https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/