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Connecting to Home
Retired Army Colonel, Christine Rem, heard about SongwritingWith:Soldiers in 2017 through a friend who had donated to the program. “Come with me to a concert this weekend,” the friend had said. “You...
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The Power of CONNECTIONS
Sometimes we don’t know we are embarking on a great adventure until we are well into it. Those simple choices, early decisions, and serendipitous connections send us on our way even before we know...
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Third Time’s A Charm
We’ve heard the clichés: “Timing is everything … Third time’s a charm.” In the case of US Army Veteran, Tom Griswold (`Griz’ to his friends) these clichés ring quite true. At the urging of his...
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Writing with Warrior PATHH
“…It’s not about writing a hit, or even a ‘killer song’. It’s about deep listening, building trust, building stronger bridges between people, opening up hearts.” — Will Kimbrough, Songwriter Along...
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From Behind the Lens: Memorial Day 2019
Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Rick Loomis has worked several retreats with us, not only bringing his artistic expertise, but also his wisdom and empathy from being embedded in war zones. We have...
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Beyond Words
“He did not know such experiences could be put into words.”— Richard Erickson, Ch, Brig Gen, USAF, retired The son of a WWII Navy hero, Richard Erikson, a retired Air Force Brigadier General and...
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The Ripple Effect
Reaching the Unknown Listener At SongwritingWIth:Soldiers, we post nearly every song written at a retreat onto our website to make it easy for anyone to listen and share. Thanks to social media...
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Igniting Change
“When I attended the SongwritingWith:Soldiers retreat in Belton, I found my voice. I found the courage I needed to share my story. I realized how much I could help others.” — Brandy Davidson, US Army...
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Teens With A Mission
One of the most common feelings among service members and their families is, “nobody understands what it’s like.” They often feel disconnected from others within their families and beyond....
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Moving from Invisible to Invincible
“When I attended SongwritingWith:Soldiers back in 2015, my PTSD was so severe that I did not want to be seen…”— Sandi Primous, US Army Veteran “As a 20-year Army Combat Veteran, I led 197 soldiers...
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Out of the Chair (Into the Spotlight)
“Before coming to the retreat, I had the date, the time and the way I was going to end my life,” Joshua Geartz told SW:S Co-Founder, Mary Judd in 2015. “Writing my song with Mary Gauthier gave me...
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Community Support
“Just wanted to let you and the team know that one of the participants from the retreat, Jeff Dawson, was injured in combat about four weeks ago. He is currently at Walter Reed recovering and his wife...
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Back To The Future
Celebrating 10 years of serving veterans had to be a momentous occasion! So, in October 2022, SongwritingWith:Soldiers headed back to the site that started it all – Cedarbrake Retreat Center in...
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A Note from a SW:S Songwriter
This is a picture taken at a recent SW:S retreat. I had just written with a father who carried so much pain. My job was to collaborate with him and get that pain down on paper so he could get it out...
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Finding Strength In Shared Experiences
As a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer with a long history with SW:S, Rick Loomis had always dreamed of bringing together a group of fellow photojournalists who had served alongside veterans. Those...
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Sparking Connections
“I don’t think these pieces are lost on those who haven’t served in the military… Writing and expressing these things has a whole lot more to do with getting through things, using good tools that are...
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Gaining Strength from our Peers
At retreats, past participants join the team as peer support to welcome new SW:S participants to their first retreat and after, into our community. These peers let them know that they were once there...
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From The Very First SW:S Retreat, The Story Continues
Nikki Shaw landed at the first SW:S retreat on her Harley, just days after returning from a long deployment in Iraq. No idea what she was in for, just agreeing to go with a friend. She could have...
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Encore!
On August 1, 2019, many of our songwriters gathered on stage at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium to sing “I Am a Soldier,” a song written at one of the first SongwritingWith:Soldiers retreats. The...
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Winner Again
Tyler Magerkurth, West Point Class of 2010 Graduate, Division 1 College Tennis Varsity Letter Winner, High School State Champion, social club leader, and my son, came back from his US Army deployment...
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