On the evening of February 10, 2025, ten brave combat veterans gathered in a conference room at Lyons VA Medical Center, where many of them also live. They are from different backgrounds and generations but the bonds formed between them are clear. Friends and family are also there, to support their loved one in their ongoing journey to heal. But, how do we heal? That is the question that brings them to this room. That is the question they are here to answer.
Approximately eight weeks earlier, this same group started on a journey together. They signed up to participate in Voices of Valor, one of the many programs offered by Music for All Seasons, located in Scotch Plains. The Voices of Valor program brings small groups of veterans together with two professional musicians and a psychology mentor for ninety minutes weekly over a period of eight weeks. The musicians do not perform for the veterans, rather they serve as facilitators guiding the group to use their shared experiences to write the lyrics to a group song. The lyrics are then set to music, performed, and recorded in a professional studio (in this case they recorded at Sound on Sound Studios located in Montclair, NJ). The final session for the group is a CD release party during which the finished product is presented for the participants, along with their friends and family. Tonight, they will hear their song, “How do We Heal?” for the first time. They will also be awarded Commemorative Coins and CDs, presented to them by Music for All Seasons Executive Director, Rena Fruchter.
The anticipation in the room is high as they sit down to discuss their personal experiences before the song they wrote and performed is played. The group talks about the tremendous impact it has had on their healing journey. John, an Iraqi War Army veteran, describes it as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.” He credits the caliber of the musicians brought in to facilitate the program as having changed his life forever. “I’m never going to forget this group. I am never going to forget this song,” he says.
The two musicians, Ron Haney and David Rimelis, do in fact bring impressive credentials to the table. David’s music has been performed by orchestras nationally and internationally, including the Boston Pops, National Symphony, and the New York pops. Ron is a NJ born Grammy-nominated guitarist, bassist, producer, songwriter and founding member of the band The Churchills. He has toured and performed with the likes of Alicia Keys, Bruce Springsteen, and Bono. Still, he credits the realization of a song from start to finish with these veterans as one of his most rewarding musical and life experiences.
Ron starts the discussion by saying, “I don’t see a room full of veterans. I see a room full of people like me. Broken like me. Perfect like me”. Veteran Tom shares his gratitude as well saying, “I always wanted to do something creative but I was too busy beating myself up to do it.” Then there is Hector, who generates laughter when he admits he joined the group because of the free pizza every week. Ultimately, he gained so much more: “It was the most beautiful experience for me,” he says. Participating in this process allowed them a chance to step outside of their comfort zones, take some chances and practice self compassion.
When the song is played there is joy, there are tears. The white sheets of paper they used to write potential lyrics hang on the wall as a reminder of the process that brought them to this culminating moment.
“As the day breaks, time to move a mountain”
“Grieving who I used to be, my mind is now the enemy”
“Every day I wake up in the dark and I pray for the light”
The song is beautiful. “How do we Heal?” is so much more than a song. It is therapy. And it is working.
Music for all seasons was founded by husband and wife, Brian Dallow and Rena Fruchter. Having met at Brandeis University in 1967 the two students of music fell in love, married and enjoyed over 55 years of marriage and partnership before Brian’s passing in 2024. They co-founded Music for All Seasons in 1991 to bring the therapeutic power of live music to underserved facilities including hospices, shelters, foster homes, geriatric centers and veterans hospitals. Their groundbreaking initiative, Voices of Valor, has been operating since the spring of 2011 and is tailored to help military veterans through trauma by engaging professional musicians to provide interactive music experiences as a part of the healing process.
Please visit the Voices of Valor website where you will be moved by the honesty and power of the words and music of the remarkable men and women who have given so much in the form of service to our country. Please consider attending, or donating to, the Music for All Seasons Gala being held on the evening of November 10th at the Liberty House in Jersey City. All proceeds will go towards the many healing programs provided by Music for All Seasons.
SIDEBAR
Brian Dallow passed away July 2, 2024 after serving as Co-Founder and Executive Director of Music for All Seasons for over 30 years. Brian was a strong, creative, and brilliant leader who devoted his life to healing through music. He was instrumental in launching Voices of Valor®, committed to helping military veterans heal their trauma through song writing. He was a gifted pianist, composer and educator. His wife of over 55 years, and MFAS Co-Founder, Rena Fruchter, is also a distinguished pianist, writer and educator. Her performances have taken her around the world in both solo and ensemble appearances. She toured with long-time friend and colleague Dudley Moore, who also served as the Founding MFAS Advisory board President from 1991 - 2002.
I see a room full of people like me. Broken like me. Perfect like me.
This is a once in a lifetime experience.