Thursday, July 7, 2011

Program Offers Guitar Lessons, Therapy for Military Veterans

Here in Milwaukee and in cities across the country, military veterans are on waiting lists for a type of therapy to treat war-related mental health problems. But they’re not waiting to see doctors or counselors at VA hospitals. These vets are lining up to take part in a growing program that uses music instruction and free guitars to soothe symptoms of trauma. WUWM's Erin Toner has more:



Thirty-eight-year-old Army veteran Mark Duran recently wrote his first original song for guitar. He says it’s a musical portrait of his Basset Hound lumbering around the backyard. Duran is a graduate of Guitars for Vets, a program that started in Milwaukee in 2007 and now has chapters in more than 20 states. The program that’s growing by word-of-mouth offers free lessons and a guitar to military veterans who’ve suffered trauma. Duran was referred to the program by his VA psychiatrist as an alternative mental health treatment.

By Erin Toner
http://www.wuwm.com/programs/news/view_news.php?articleid=8757#share





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