Musicorps


It is difficult to imagine the life of a severely wounded warrior recovering at Walter Reed. Wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan, many have had their lives blown up in every sense of the word. Musicorps is an intensive music rehabilitation program that helps them recover their lives.


Musicorps replicates “real world” music relationships so that injured veterans work on, and are motivated to work on, robust goal-oriented projects many hours a day. Musicorps integrates individualized projects, regular visits by accomplished musicians, and the use of specially-assembled computer-based music workstations along with traditional instruments. Working in any musical style they prefer, wounded warriors are able to learn, play, write, record, and produce original material.


“A revolutionary program to help war veterans adjust to postwar life.”

- The Wall Street Journal

“This gives us a piece of us back.”

– SGT Nicholas Firth

 

Praise in The Wall Street Journal


Nina Roberts concludes Musicorps is “a revolutionary program to help war veterans adjust to postwar life.” To read her entire report, click here.


Praise in the Washington Post


Pulitzer Prize winning author Anne Applebaum concludes Musicorps “is extraordinary.” To read it republished online at Slate.com, click here.


Praise in Congress


To read Representative Bill Owens’ speech “Supporting The Goals of Musicorps at Walter Reed Army Medical Center,” click here.


Profile on CBS


To watch the CBS profile of Musicorps with Yo-Yo Ma, click here.


Profile on ABC


To watch Bob Woodruff’s profile of Musicorps on ABC World News, click here.


Profile on ABC.com


To watch Bob Woodruff’s more extensive profile of Musicorps on abc.com, click here.


Profile on CNN


To watch CNN’s profile of Musicorps, click here. 

Benefits


Facing a jarring shift from rigorous activity to the pain and isolation of recovery,  Musicorps brings activity, accomplishment, and joy. The program helps wounded warriors overcome injuries, remain productive, and recover their lives.


Musicorps also aids recovery from war-related trauma, including PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and TBI (traumatic brain injury). Concussive blasts from roadside bombs cause TBI, and it has been called the signature injury of the war on terror. Learning, creating, and performing music involves so many aspects of brain function that it is believed to recruit uninjured parts of the brain to compensate for parts that have been injured, and help those parts that are injured recover. Among others, Musicorps is advised by Dr. Allen Brown, Director of Brain Research and Rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic.

__________________________________________________________________

Home    About    Support    Participate    Contact    Video    Thanks

Origins


Musicorps began when composer and founder of Renovation In Music Education (RIME), Arthur Bloom, was invited to visit a soldier recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The soldier, a musician who had been badly injured by an roadside bomb, was concerned about the effects of his injuries on his ability to play music. In conversations with Bloom, the soldier expressed his pain, frustration, and as the seed of an idea took root, enthusiasm for a music program.


Bloom and RIME committed to developing an unprecedented program that would not only benefit this particular soldier, but any who wished to participate, at any level, under any circumstance. Indeed, the program has successfully accommodated a broad variety of participants working in styles ranging from hardcore and metal to classical and rap, using instruments ranging from keyboards and software to guitars and native American flutes.


Renovation In Music Education


Musicorps is provided by Renovation In Music Education (RIME), a nonprofit organization that helps people, organizations and communities succeed through innovative music partnership programs. RIME has successfully partnered with school systems, orchestras, and even NASA to create unprecedented educational opportunities and musical events. For more information about RIME, please visit us on the web at www.rimemusic.org.


Support


If you would be interested in supporting Musicorps, please follow the link below to our secure donation page, or visit our Support Page for additional information and ways to provide support.