We received this message in our email box this morning and were so touched by it that we’d like to share it with all our readers. From Guitars for Vets:
Dearest friends~
You received this because you are someone that has crossed my path maybe once, maybe one thousand times or more. And you have impressed upon me something that seems to be in short supply these days– Empathy.
On this Memorial Day, as we take the time to honor our fallen warriors, let us take a few moments to close our eyes and feel. Imagine what it must be like to endure the savagery of war and the cataclysmic effects that it puts into motion for generations to follow. For this, it is good to cry. We are all wounded healers and our tears are powerful medicine. Let us hope that someday the world will be inspired to transcend political, religious and cultural divides so that we all might come home again to humanity’s tender heart of compassion.
On Saturday, June 11th, 2011, GUITARS FOR VETS (G4V) will be holding its second annual fund-raiser at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, ROCK the RUMBLE 2.0. Since incorporation in 2007, G4V has given more than 1200 acoustic guitars and 8000 lessons to American Military Veterans that have suffered a myriad of physical and emotional injuries as a result of their service to us. GUITARS FOR VETS is a volunteer lead movement and the great majority of the new guitars given to the Vets in our 25 Chapters Nationwide have been purchased with monies raised through private donors and events such as this. Please follow this link to our website to learn more about G4V and this year’s hallmark soirée. http://guitars4vets.org/events.cfm
I realize many of you will not be in town on June 11, so by all means forward this to those who you believe would have an interest in joining us. Our goal for this year’s event is to raise $20,000.00. If you cannot attend, please donate generously here if you are able http://guitars4vets.org/donate.cfm. The GUITARS FOR VETS program helps wounded Veterans rediscover their joy as they realize they are truly capable of creating something beautiful.
Blessed be,
~Patrick
Patrick Nettesheim
Vice President
GUITARS FOR VETS, Inc.
414-339-3648
www.guitarsforvets.org
We’ve compiled a short video with some of the highlights from the May 16 charity gala held in New York City. The video shows excerpts from the Q&A that followed the film screening, and a song performed by John Mayer from his latest album that is about to be released.
This quote from a review about the film says it all: “In a culture of isolation where just about every soldier retreats to the sanctuary of their iPods to listen to music, the live shows provide a communal experience.” (Earl Brechlin, editor Mount Desert Islander, Maine). And it’s that sense of tribe, of group, of “family”, that allows the soldiers to survive each day of their deployment and of combat. This is exactly why We Are Family Foundation and director Susan Cohn Rockefeller teamed up to make this film–because they believe in how much music can unite individuals, and help them to communicate. One of the major goals of the film and this partnership is to make sure that support continues to be given to the organizations that make it possible for live performance to reach even the most remote regions where soldiers are deployed, organizations such as Armed Forces Entertainment and Stars for Stripes. We encourage viewers of Striking a Chord, if you’re moved by the story, to donate your time, your money and your talent to these organizations.
Our recent gala charity celebration, which included the participation of Grammy-award winning musician John Mayer, demonstrated very clearly how much music can unite individuals of all walks of life and give them a sense of community.
John Mayer headlined a benefit supporting Fisher House, NCIRE (Northern California Institute of Research and Education)/The Veterans Health Research Institute and the We Are Family Foundation in New York City on May 16, 2011. The event, which was packed upstairs and down by Mayer fans, big ticket funders and friends brought much needed attention and awareness to the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on soldiers and the power of music to start the healing process.
A screening of a shorter version of Striking a Chord was followed by a panel discussion on PTSD moderated by Gerry Byrne, media executive, entrepreneur and former Marine Corps officer and Vietnam Veteran. Panelists included Dr. Shira Maguen, Lt. Colonel Scott Rainey, who stars in the film, and Lt. Col. Scott Leonard. The highlight of the evening was a lively and surprising live auction spearheaded by Mayer himself for a signed guitar and a private lesson, followed by a performance by the musician.
An article in the Saturday February 12 edition of The New York Times, titled For Some Troops, Powerful Drug Cocktails have Deadly Results, has brought to light, once again, that the military doctors and psychiatrists appear to be taking the easy way out when trying to help returning vets from Iraq and Afghanistan to handle the stress, nightmares and disorientation they feel back at home–just throw a bunch of pills at them. The quote that says it all comes from one soldier’s father, Charles Endicott: “He survived over there. Coming home and dying in a hospital? It’s a disgrace.” Yet the article highlights not one isolated case, but several. We already know the figures: over 300,000 soldiers are returning to the U.S. to be diagnosed with different forms of PTSD, depression or TBI (traumatic brain injury). Many go without any sort of treatment until a violent outbreak makes it inevitable, and many are treated, as the article points out, with a handful of pills, what may turn out to be a deadly concoction.
As the article points out:
But those medications, along with narcotic painkillers, are being increasingly linked to a rising tide of other problems, among them drug dependency, suicide and fatal accidents — sometimes from the interaction of the drugs themselves. An Army report on suicide released last year documented the problem, saying one-third of the force was on at least one prescription medication.
So what is the solution? There are many others. The soldiers need more dedicated attention–and alternative therapies that allow them not to blind themselves from their fears or illness or stress, but to confront them in a calm, direct way. The soldiers need to be eased back into their home life, into the civil work world. Alternative treatment such as music or art therapy, simple conservation in groups, community service, anything that allows them to be themselves and be social, seem to be more organic ways to address the difficulties and the isolation they may feel. As the journalist, James Dao, writes:
The Army and the Navy are also offering more treatments without drugs, including acupuncture and yoga. And they have tried to expand talk therapy programs — one of which, exposure therapy, is considered by some experts to be the only proven treatment for P.T.S.D. But shortages of mental health professionals have hampered those efforts.
There may be a shortage of mental health professionals, but there can’t possibly be a shortage of able-bodied citizens who wouldn’t mind donating their time and expertise to help a fellow man or woman, especially one who has just returned from one or several difficult missions whose purpose is to ensure the safety and well being of U.S. citizens. Given today’s situation, with so many people out of work, and so much more awareness of the deserved needs of the returning soldiers, from here we can only continue to encourage individuals to give some of their time and join any of the many groups dedicated to their care. There’s a list of some of these on this very website on our Resources page.
Many people ask when they’ve seen the film what has become of Danny Roberts, the Air Force Fire Department airman who does such an awesome rendition of Lynyrd Skynnyrd’s “Tuesday’s Gone” with Nell Bryden and her band. Recently, we received a quick update from Danny, and that included a link to a YouTube video. The video, although shaky and dark and not of the best sound quality, gives us a sneak peak at Danny’s first live performance in Portland, Oregon. He writes: “Here is a video link of my first live performance in Portland, OR. Its a cover of Billie Jean…The video is hard to see and the audio is a little rough but it’s a handheld camera so yeah. Hope you enjoy!!!”
Good work, Danny! We look forward to hearing more about you!
Striking a Chord screened at the RMWFF in early November. Our film’s cinematographer and field producer, Nara Garber, flew to Colorado to participate in the panel following the screenings, both at the festival and at one of the local army bases, Paterson AFB. Below are here notes on the experience:
This is a truly amazing festival in terms of audience engagement, the passion of the volunteers who make it possible, and the extraordinary commitment they make to the filmmakers. On the flight out, our departure from LGA was delayed on account of wind, which meant that we landed in Dallas only 20 minutes before the connecting flight was due to take off. While angling to make a quick exit from the plane, I overheard the three women in front of me talking about what gate they had to rush to but also about the festival, so I confirmed they were continuing on to Colorado Springs and asked if I could follow them. They said they were part of a group of ten women who fly out for the festival every year. Apparently one of them has a sister on the board. We annexed the other seven attendees and just made it to the next plane, where a flight attendant was holding the door for us.
Peterson AFB Screening:
The Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival takes its community screenings really seriously, and they were thrilled to include Peterson Field for the first time this year. This was due in large part to the efforts of Margie Arnold, of the 21st Force Support Squadron, who has volunteered with the festival in the past (as she did again this year) and thought it would be a great way to bring Peterson AFB into the community.
Audience at Peterson AFB screening
People estimated the audience at being about 200. Everyone seemed really excited to be there and the enthusiasm was contagious. SAC screened alongside The Legend of Pancho Barnes, which was both hilarious and touching. When the film was programmed, the AFE decided to invite the Ninety Nines, members of an elite women’s flying club that recently celebrated its 81st birthday. Also in attendance was Millicent Young, a feisty firecracker of a lady. She was a Women Air Force Service Pilot (WASP) in World War II and a recent recipient of a Congressional Gold Medal. All of this conspired to draw an interesting audience that was mostly military, but which also had some festival volunteers and people from the aviation world. The Q&A after SAC was lively. People wanted to know what the most difficult aspects of filming over there were, both physically and logistically. One woman hung back for a while, looking as though she might cry. She finally approached to thank me and say, “What a beautiful film.” It turns out this was Millicent Young’s daughter. The festival volunteers in attendance all said they appreciated getting a sense of what men and women are going through overseas, and one gentleman who has apparently worked as a therapist on the base said the subject matter is incredibly important. Margie, who watched the film four times prior to the evening’s screening and loves it, felt the evening went well, and I kept hearing positive feedback from other festival staffers.
Millicent Young cutting the 81st birthday cake of the Ninety Nines
Saturday and Sunday were the big screening days. SAC screened on Saturday afternoon, and most of the other filmmakers were in the audience. The Q&A was fun because it became more of a conversation. The filmmakers asked a lot of procedural questions, and the local attendees talked about the disconnect between, say, the soldiers over at Fort Carson and the residential civilian community that abuts the base. I noted that people kept telling me that the military has a very high profile in town, but almost no one on the civilian side ever said that they actually talked to the people in the military. One festival volunteer excitedly told me after the screening that her family had just “adopted” a Marine, meaning that they’ll send him notes, care packages, etc., during his deployment. I used her as an example of what one can do at the very grassroots level and suggested that it’s important that these relationships continue when the deployment ends.
Filmmakers at the Saturday screening
Sunday was another filmmakers luncheon panel. There was a full house for that screening, and a lot of similar questions were asked. People also wanted to know about the difference between AFE and the USO and how Nell Bryden decided to tour with her band.
I was excited to see how much people wanted to talk about the film and how grateful and moved so many people were to catch a glimpse of what life is like “over there.”
As I’ve been typing this up over the course of the evening, I’ve received several emails from the other filmmakers in attendance. We’re going to try to pool our resources to get together a sum of money to sponsor a film for next year. The money would cover the cost of the screening. Last year’s guest filmmakers did this and sponsored a film by a first-time filmmaker who has volunteered with the festival for the past decade. It was that kind of festival.
Poignantly, at the time that Nara was attending the film festival, an article came out in the Colorado Springs Gazette about a new book titled Lethal Warriors. The book tells the story of a group of soldiers, suffering from PTSD, whose illness has had devastating effects on them and the Colorado Springs community. This coincidence emphasizes the need to seek more understanding and connection between the military bases and their local community, and to help provide the appropriate outlets and resources for returning soldiers.
We’re proud to say that Striking a Chord is an official selection in the Rockport Film Festival. Texas is a natural home for the film, and we look forward to hearing how the audience received it.
Nell Bryden just received this lovely email from Jolene. They’ve generously given us permission to publish it.
“I just attended the Hamptons Film Festival and saw the film, “Striking a Chord”. I wanted to tell you that I really admire you for going over to Iraq and Afghanistan to entertain the troops. My boyfriend is in Afghanistan now, in the Marine Corps. Until I saw this film, I never realized how important music is for them, and how positive an impact it can have on their well-being. You should feel very proud of yourself for contributing to that! Also, I think you have a fabulous voice and I intend to definitely purchase some of your music on iTunes!”
Thanks, Jolene. And may your boyfriend come home safely.
Just back from the Hamptons International Film Festival, a wacky five days with glorious weather and two screenings of our film in East Hampton. While we get our bearings and allow the experience of the festival to sink in, below are the impressions received from two people from the audience.
Today we went to the Hamptons Film Festival to see Sue Cohn Rockefeller’s “Striking a Chord”, a moving film about music, entertainers who visit the troops, and post traumatic stress disorder. The film at first seems to concentrate on a little-known band that it follows around Iraq. However, as the story progresses and you begin to understand the context, you are swept away by the need of the men and women combatants, separated from their families in the middle of nowhere and the deeply curative, maybe even mutually curative, connection that these young musicians make with their contemporaries who have volunteered to fight our wars.
Ken Miller
Managing Partner
Keylink Capital International, llc
Hello,
I saw the movie this morning at the HIFF. This movie is truly incredible!!! I am a social worker out here in the Hamptons and I would love to find a way to bring this movie back for a screening outside of the film festival.
I feel so strongly that more people need to see this movie – Please let me know if I can help bring it back here.
Had to shoot Allison Harwell in her re-designed T-shirt. This is genius, as far as we’re concerned.
And, no: she’s not trained in fashion design. Just a natural!
The back was actually cooler than the front. Love it!
Well, we’ll be copying this, big time. Thanks, Allison, for showing us we don’t have to look like an elephant in the jumbo T-shirts we’re acquiring at festivals: we can look like goddesses!
