Giving Connection

Operation Song

This nonprofit has not yet verified the listed information.

Volunteer

P.O. Box 121746 Nashville, TN 37212

EIN Number: 46-5442758

contact information

Phone: 844-967-7664

Hours: No Set Business Hours - Call to Inquire

Website: https://www.operationsong.org/

Email: contact@operationsong.org

NTEE Code: A68: Music

MISSION - WHAT WE DO

Operation Song's™ mission is to empower veterans, active duty military, and their family members to tell their stories through the process of songwriting. The "big idea" behind Operation Song™ is to help the military community express thoughts and emotions about their service, about themselves, and about their service related issues, illnesses and injuries. We pair professional Nashville songwriters with veterans, service member and their families from WWII to Korea, Vietnam to the Gulf War, Iraq to Afghanistan. We have repeatedly been told by all participants that this is one of the most therapeutic experiences they have had. We are very proud of our track record of success and we are eager to take Operation Song™ to the next level to help fill the growing need for alternative means of expression for our service members and veterans. There has never been, nor will there ever be, any charge for Operation Song's services.

SERVICES - HOW WE DO IT

10-Week Songwriting Programs: "This is therapy on steroids." Joe E. Vietnam Veteran. In our 10 week program, a group of 4 to 6 veterans meet for 2 hours a week with one or two professional songwriters. The goal is for each veteran to come away with a song that tells their story, what they want the world to know about themselves and their service. The sessions start out with a casual introduction to the process of songwriting and some quick, fun songs are written with each participant. Once the group bonds, individual participants begin telling their stories and the writers help put the "puzzle pieces" in place. Other veterans join in, but the final say on content belongs to the one telling the story. By the end of the program, the group has bonded and everyone has a song they can be proud of. The songwriters then do basic recordings of the songs, and a CD is pressed and presented at a closing event for the participants and families. Regular alumni events keep the group connected and engaged in the process of expressing themselves. Songwriting Retreats: "I accomplished more in those 8 hours than in the 20 shrink sessions I've been to in the last year." J. Franz, Army Ranger (ret) Iraq. Our weekend retreats feature a Friday night get together with writers, veterans (as many as 12) and sponsors. We have a dinner, then we talk about the program and what to expect, then the songwriters perform some of their hits in an informal setting. The next morning, we pair the writers with veterans and they spend the day writing with a break for lunch. That afternoon, the songs are finished up and basic recordings are made. That evening, after everyone has taken a break, the veterans, their families and the sponsors meet for intimate, acoustic performances of the songs written that day. The veterans and the writers are encouraged to speak and share their feelings about the experience. Over the next few weeks, a CD is made of the songs and presented to the participants. In some cases, this process is condensed to a 1-day process without the loss of quality to the program. Survivors of MST (Military Sexual Trauma) Songwriting Retreat: "This is my liberation song." Kate, US Army veteran. During the month of April (Military Sexual Assault Awareness Month) and for the next few months, Operation Song partners with the Women Veterans Health Care Center in Nashville to provide songwriting as therapy to survivors of MST, military sexual trauma. The Center provides the writing space and referrals for the program and Operation Song™ provides songwriters. Most of the songwriters are female but occasionally a veteran will wish to tell her story to a male as part of the recovery process, in which case we oblige. Approximately 10 to 15 women veterans participate each year. Once the songs are written, Operation Song makes recordings of the songs and then has them pressed onto a CD to be given out at a closing event for the participants and their families, always an emotional event. This past year, this event was featured on Nashville and National Pubic Radio on the program, "Here and Now." Gold Star Children Songwriting Retreat: Statring in 2017, Operation Song began partnering with A Solider's Child Foundation to put on weekend songwriting camps in Middle TN for Gold Star Children. Groups of 3 or 4 GS children, ages 9-16, sit down with a professional songwriter who helps them to tell their stories. There are suggested topics that the group discusses such as, "What do I have in common with my fallen parent," or "What would I most like my fallen parent to know about me," to get the conversation going. An individual child may break out with a writer to write their specific story as time allows. The GS children then perform the song at the end of the day, always a very moving and impactful event. Military Spouses and Caregivers Songwriting Retreat: “Words cannot express how valuable and precious this experience has been for me. Never through my husband’s military career has anyone asked me to tell my story as a military wife.” We had our first spouses and caregivers retreat in the summer of 2016 and it was very successful. 10 spouses and family members met with songwriters for a one-day retreat. The format was the same as a regular retreat without the Friday night "meet and greet" component. This was largely a cost-saving measure but we would like to make it a full weekend in the future. We had such a positive response to the retreat that we hope to have at least two this year, with a goal of quarterly retreats for spouses by 2019.