[guitar strumming]
This project, "Songwriting with:Soldiers", is a sort of way to use songs to to bridge the gap,
which I call "the invisible divide", or the "make believe divide" even,
between military communities and civilian communities, using songs,
The way I approach these things, and I know it might feel a little awkward, but it's all about a conversation, it's all about talking.
I'm always curious about why you joined the military.
I was kind of hesitant about it. I kind of thought it was going to be one of those cheesy things,
where there's this template, and he picks and chooses words to make it souln like he's putting this song together,
but you can use anybody's words and put them in there.
But, it really wasn't like my expectations, at all. He's really there to experience your story.
It kind of transformed from just having the conversation about my experiences.
Usually, they were the things I went through when I was in the military, this is what life was like, and he made it into a song.
I used to think that I didn't wear a uniform, until I realized I wear the same thing, every day. Everybody's wearing a uniform.
Underneath the uniforms are human beings, so let's get beneath these uniforms, and look at the human being.
At that level, there's a massive amount of commonality, and people are never who you think they are. Never.
When you start talking, and when you use something like a collaborative song-writing process,
information comes out and stories come out that you wouldn't get in a normal conversation.
It's all about making a song, and so, great things happen that bridge that gap.
People ask you questions about your experience.
Instead of thinking about an answer, it's just this rehearsed answer that you tell people.
You're so used to being asked these same questions, over and over again, you no longer even process it, and disconnect from your story.
I think, through his songwriting process, you really reconnected with it.
I think a lot of us talk about what happened when we were overseas,
or the things that happened to us when we were in the military, what it was like to come back.
It was definitely a good chance to open up, and to express some of that, without feeling like people are looking at you strange,
or the fact that a lot of people just don't understand.
It's very emotional, because you hear these parts of your story
just told in such a way that you've never really looked at, from that perspective. It's a really profound thing.
I think he has a genuine interest in feeling your story, and getting to know you, during the process.
Songwriting with:Soldiers is based on the concept that everyone has a story,
and the telling of that story to someone who is hearing your story,
and then transforming that story back into a song and singing it back to you.
That combination of story being heard, and coming back to you being heard, is really powerful, because we all want to be heard.
If you have a story, the person that hears you, you'll always be grateful, especially if that person is different from you.
On the surface, you think that person has no reason to listen to you.
[But], when that person hears you enough to translate it into a piece of art,
it's a big deal, and it creates lifelong connections and bonds.
[music swells, then fades]