Finding Voice and Vision: Empowering Veterans through Music, Expressive Writing, and Film

 
 

A bold arts-driven initiative that transforms the lives of veterans through the healing power of creative expression.

Partnering with veteran centers, we provide three-month art therapy programs to veterans battling PTSD and trauma. Our creative team draws from years of experience offering talks and performances designed to inspire and heal.

We help veterans use the healing power of creativity and gain confidence through sharing

 
 

HISTORY

It all started with poet Brian Turner writing in his notebooks.

(More…)

Soon after returning from his tour of duty in 2004, Turner published his firsthand poetic observation as Here, Bullet - an award winning collection that took the world by storm. He's been profiled on every major media outlet imaginable (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, BBC, etc.) and basically spent the last 20 years on a continuous book tour. (BIO)

Fast-forward to the mid 2010’s.

During her morning commute soprano Heidi Moss Erickson hears Brian Turner reading his poetry during an interview on NPR's Fresh Air and immediately buys the book for composer Kurt Erickson with an admonishment to “set these to music!!”.

In 2018 Erickson uses four of the poems to create the 18-minute song set Here, Bullet for a commissioning consortium comprised of some 25 singers on three separate continents. Despite the challenges of concert hall shutdowns during the pandemic, Here, Bullet wins First Prize in the 2020 NATS Art Song Composition Competition, becomes the subject of multiple master and doctoral dissertations, receives international performances, is presented at multiple veteran themed events, with a commercial recording to be released by baritone Andrew Garland in Spring 2026.

In 2022 the work catches the attention of Tony-nominated actor/director Will Chase who reaches out to turn Here, Bullet into a short film as a powerful meditation on gun violence.

Drawing on the extensive outreach experiences of the creative team, the three artists partner with San Francisco’s LIEDER ALIVE!, creating a template for three month art therapy programs in partnership with San Francisco Bay Area based veteran organizations and mental health clinicians (San Francisco VA Medical Center, Concord Vet Center, Solano Vet Center Outreach). With soprano Heidi Moss Erickson, the team presents the work (discussions and performances) on podcasts, colleges lecture circuit, at galleries, and other assorted veteran themed events.

As of this writing, we are unaware of any classical music art songs that are being turned into a short film, and few veteran themed works exists in the art song genre. And while many incredibly helpful art therapy programs exist to serve veteran populations, we are unaware of any led by an internationally renowned author/veteran, a successful TV and Film actor/director, and an acclaimed composer.

Separately, Kurt Erickson engages with advocacy work for the Solano County Suicide Prevention Program, giving talks to our Board of Supervisors, setting up music and mental health talks at my college, as well as at colleges and universities across the world (St Andrews University in Scotland, Northwestern University in Chicago, Hartt School of Music in Connecticut, etc.).

Next season, I will be working with Holocaust and Rwandan Genocide advocacy groups, giving talks and performances of my work Each Moment Radiant – a collaboration with poet/veteran Brian Turner that sets grief survivor stories related to the Pan Am Flight 103 crash over Lockerbie, Scotland.

Led by acclaimed poet/Iraq War veteran Brian Turner, composer Kurt Erickson, and Tony-nominated actor/director Will Chase, our Creative Team partners with unite to help veterans battling PTSD and trauma.We know that This free, 3-month program helps participants process trauma, rediscover identity, and reconnect with others. Creative prompts focused on post-traumatic growth and resilience are inspired inspired by the poetry of acclaimed author and Iraq War veteran Brian Turner and composer Kurt Erickson. Veterans create, reflect, and share work in a culminating public event that engages communities, voters awareness, connection, and recognition.

More than a workshop, it’s a transformative lifeline —restoring dignity, supporting reintegration, and empowering veterans to reclaim stories through art.

We partner with uses art making practice to provide insight and help veterans battling PTSD and trauma. Professional, acclaimed artists giving back. egestas at nibh nec finibus.

PARTNERS & ADVISORY COUNCIL

LIEDER ALIVE! - San Francisco Performing Arts organization
San Francisco VA Medical Center
Concord Vet Center
Solano Vet Center Outstation
Vianney Mugabo - Friends of Rwanda Association (Director)
Heidi Moss Erickson - Speaker, Scientist, Soprano
Lori Espinosa - Solano County Suicide Prevention Program Director


SELECTED OUTREACH & PRESENTATION EVENTS

  • Presentation at Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing Conference (Melbourne, Australia) - July 4, 2025

  • Hartt School of Music (Hartford, Connecticut) - April 2025

  • Solano College Veterans Resource Center (Fairfield, CA) sponsored talk and performance - April 2024

  • Solano Board of Supervisors (Fairfield, CA) talk - September 2024

  • Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY) with poet Brian Turner at the National Veteran Resource Center - October 2024

  • Cosumnes River College (Sacramento, CA) in a veteran curated event at the CRC Art Gallery - October 2019