Stories and Songs from our Music Therapy Retreats
Previously called Music Therapy of the Rockies, Music Therapy Retreats delivers evidence-based music therapy techniques to support veterans and individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
We host music therapy retreats free of charge, providing participants with the tools to achieve mental wellness through music. Our retreats incorporate goal setting, mindfulness, professional songwriting experiences, and adapted guitar instruction.
This approach assists participants in recognizing triggers, mastering self-regulation, and reinterpreting their experiences.
As part of the Retreat, each veteran is presented with a new Breedlove Guitar to help them work on both physiological and psychological skills through music.
About Brian Porter and “On the Other Side”
I was in the Marine Corps in the late 1980s and early 1990s, serving in Iraq during the Gulf War. It was a dangerous mission, and I didn’t expect to make it home. I was medically discharged after a hard landing in a helicopter.
When I got home, I was struggling with a lot of anger and guilt – survivor’s guilt and guilt about the lives I had taken. I had to learn to stop beating myself up and constantly ruminating on my actions.
“On The Other Side” is a reflection back on my military career. As I went to therapy and healed, I began to experience a wider range of empathy: for myself, for my fellow soldiers, and eventually for those who had fought on the other side.
I was able to come to grips with myself, connect with my own inner compass, and accept my actions. I know I did what was necessary to save my life and others. If there is an afterlife, I have peace that I can stand before my higher power and say I did the best I could.
I also began to see those who I fought against as people like me – people who were doing what they thought was right, who had people they cared about and people who cared about them. I’ve learned to see life as a lot less black and white and a lot more gray.
Writing this song with JD and Natalie was really powerful. We all experienced a lot of emotions during the day and a half of writing. I’m sharing experiences that most people won’t encounter in their lives. It was beautiful to be able to explain it to someone else and have them reflect it back in music.
I think a lot of people get stuck in a state of anxiety and hypervigilance. I want you to know you deserve to be happy. Listen to your own moral compass and not all the voices around you. And keep fighting for yourself, so you can continue to serve others.
Listen to a preview of Dave Shatas song with Natalie Spears and JD Martin here:
Support Mental Wellness for Veterans
Music Therapy Retreats has served more than 100 veterans and people suffering from PTSD at retreats in Tennessee, Colorado, Maryland, and beyond.
With just a $100 donation, you can receive this song — along with two full albums that give you an inside look at our retreats. The stories and songs compiled here highlight their experiences.
Listen to memories unfold, as the retreat attendee’s experiences are explored and captured in song.
