Voices of Valor is a program of Music For All Seasons, Inc.® and operates in collaboration with partners nationwide. We thank all the Veterans, facilitators, and supporters who make this work possible.
Our Beginning
Voices of Valor began as a program of Music For All Seasons, Inc.®, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing healing musical experiences to underserved communities. Recognizing that U.S. Veterans often face invisible wounds from their service—including post-traumatic stress, depression, and isolation—Music For All Seasons launched Voices of Valor to offer a safe, creative space where Veterans could connect, collaborate, and find empowerment through music.
Our Vision
Voices of Valor recognizes that the challenge of reintegration into civilian life for Veterans has produced high incidences of suicide, domestic violence, substance abuse, and clinical depression. By using music and group songwriting as a creative outlet, we believe many of these issues can be successfully addressed and quality of life significantly improved for Veterans worldwide.
Our Mission
Voices of Valor brings a creative songwriting program to groups of Veterans in a secure and supportive environment for personal expression. We help Veterans develop tools for healing, communication, and community, both within their own families and in the larger world.
Our First Sessions
The program’s first songwriting and recording sessions were held in New Jersey with small groups of Veterans. Professional musicians guided participants through the process of sharing stories, writing lyrics, composing melodies, and recording original songs. These sessions immediately revealed the power of creative expression to promote healing, camaraderie, and self-confidence among Veterans.
Signature Approach
Each Voices of Valor program brings small groups of Veterans together with two musician-facilitators and a psychology mentor for 90-minute sessions held weekly over an eight- or nine-week period. This structure creates time for trust, creativity, and collaboration to develop, while ensuring Veterans are supported musically and emotionally.
During each session, participants are encouraged to listen to music as a way to address stress and trauma; they are invited to bring music they find relaxing to the session and discuss it with other participants. They are also encouraged to write down and discuss stressors and life experiences with their peers. Following discussions of the difference between expressive writing and song lyrics, the group members turn their writings into lyrics for a group song that is set to music by them, with the assistance of the musician/facilitators, and recorded by the Veterans themselves. The total experience transforms negative feelings into something creative, positive, shared, and empowering.
For facilities that require a shorter timeline, Voices of Valor can also adapt to a condensed schedule to meet the needs of the participants and the host organization.
Outcomes
Music For All Seasons is proud to have identified measurable results including: increased self-esteem, lower levels of anxiety and depression, a reduction in feelings of isolation, and a greater ability to interact comfortably with fellow participants and with civilians. Because the Voices of Valor program is achieving these results, Music For All Seasons is proud to contribute to the emotional well-being and social development of the participants, resulting in a revitalized veteran community. The Voices of Valor approach helps Veterans achieve:
- Self-empowerment
- Stress reduction
- Anxiety reduction
- Depression control
- Group support and peer connection
- Improved quality of life
- Lowered risk of associated health problems
Growth and Impact
Over the years, Voices of Valor has expanded beyond its original pilot sessions to serve Veterans in multiple states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts. Hundreds of Veterans have participated in songwriting workshops and recording projects, culminating in unique, professionally recorded tracks that tell their stories in their own voices.
Continuing the Mission
Today, Voices of Valor continues to collaborate with VA facilities, Veterans homes, and community organizations to bring its unique model of music-making to those who have served. The program remains rooted in its core belief: that music and creativity can help restore connection, dignity, and hope to those who have experienced the challenges of military service.
Looking Ahead
As Voices of Valor grows, the program seeks to reach more Veterans and their families, partner with additional organizations, and share its songs more widely with the public. Every new workshop strengthens our vision of a future where no Veteran feels unheard or alone.
In Memoriam
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Brian F. Dallow, Music For All Seasons Co-Founder and Executive Director. Brian’s death on July 2, 2024, leaves us all devastated. Brian has led Music For All Seasons with his wife, Artistic Director Rena Fruchter, since the organization’s inception in 1991, and he remained active with the organization for thirty-three years.
Brian was a strong, creative, and brilliant leader who devoted his life to healing through music. He helped Music For All Seasons and all its programs to grow from an idea to a reality, working with many populations in five states.
Brian will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues. May his memory be a blessing.
