Stories and Songs from our Music Therapy Retreats

Music Therapy Retreats, previously known as Music Therapy of the Rockies, delivers evidence-based music therapy techniques to support veterans and others dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

We organize regular music therapy retreats, free of charge, allowing participants to achieve mental wellness through music. These retreats include best practices in music therapy such as goal setting, mindfulness, songwriting with professional musicians, and adapted guitar lessons.

Our methods assist individuals in identifying triggers, developing self-regulation strategies, and reframing their experiences.

Each veteran at the Retreat receives a new Breedlove Guitar, which they use to enhance both physiological and psychological skills through music creation.

About Curtis Hice and “You Don’t Have To Be Strong Anymore”

I was a combat engineer in the U.S. Marines from 2002-2006. I joined right out of high school and was deployed to Iraq three times. I had written a couple of songs before Music Therapy of the Rockies, and it was really cool to get in the room with a songwriter like Chris. I had a half-written song that we finished on the first day. We had one whole day left of the retreat, and I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about.

As I was driving in for the second day, “Strong Anymore” just started to come to me. I couldn’t write while driving, so I sang voice recordings into my phone. I got a verse and chorus down, and once I got there, we turned it into a song. As I was writing, I felt that I was talking with others and saying, “Hey, I’ve gone through this and gotten help and you can do the same thing. You don’t have to be strong all the time. You don’t have to carry your burdens alone.”

I sometimes struggle with the things that I had to do in war or the terrible things that I had to see. We learned in the music therapy sessions that we need to be kinder to ourselves. I think it’s also important to remember that we have people in our lives who love us and want to help us. And even when we’re having trouble forgiving ourselves, God loves us and forgives us, no matter how horrible we think our actions have been.

Sometimes, you have to be vulnerable. You have to share your experiences and let them out. You have to admit that you want help. And when you do, you’ll be surprised how many others are there to be strong for you.

Listen to a preview of Curtis Lee Hice song with Chris Nole 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.