Last night while reading the news on-line, I came across this piece from PJMedia. 

“This is the latest video about Musicorps, a program that gives (often very severely) wounded combat veterans the opportunity to play music.  It’s the creation of a wunderkind in Washington DC named Arthur Bloom, a Juliard prodigy who has performed with some very famous musicians and written some very successful compositions, including movie scores.  He took his profits and put them into Musicorps, which maybe, just maybe, is beginning to attract the attention it deserves.”

I must say, I was intrigued. So I checked out their website, watched some more video, got choked up more than once, and knew I had to share it here. It’s a program started at Walter Reed. The benefits of the program are obvious once you watch. These folks deserve our best, and a program like this that helps enrich their lives is certainly worthy of support and encouragement. I salute them and their efforts. Well done.

Here’s the video.

Here’s the link for MusicCorps for more about what they do.

“Musicorps replicates “real world” music relationships so that injured veterans work on, and are motivated to work on, robust goal-oriented projects many hours a day. Musicorps integrates individualized projects, regular visits by accomplished musicians, and the use of specially-assembled computer-based music workstations along with traditional instruments. Working in any musical style they prefer, wounded warriors are able to learn, play, write, record, and produce original material.

Facing a jarring shift from rigorous activity to the pain and isolation of recovery,  Musicorps brings activity, accomplishment, and joy. The program helps wounded warriors overcome injuries, remain productive, and recover their lives.

Musicorps also aids recovery from war-related trauma, including PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and TBI (traumatic brain injury). Concussive blasts from roadside bombs cause TBI, and it has been called the signature injury of the war on terror. Learning, creating, and performing music involves so many aspects of brain function that it is believed to recruit uninjured parts of the brain to compensate for parts that have been injured, and help those parts that are injured recover. Among others, Musicorps is advised by Dr. Allen Brown, Director of Brain Research and Rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic.”

And here’s one more. You can view more videos at their link.