MONTCLAIR, N.J. – During stressful times in combat back in Iraq, New Jersey native Nairobi Cruz was comforted by the soothing sounds of country music, a genre she had never heard before joining the Army. For Jose Mercedes, it was an eclectic iPod mix that helped him cope with losing an arm in combat.
Now both veterans are enrolled in a program that hopes to use music to ease their reintegration into civilian life. “It’s a therapy session without the ‘sit down, lay down, and write notes,” said 26-year-old Mercedes of Union City. “It’s different – it’s an alternative that’s way better.”
The pilot program, Voices of Valor, has veterans work as a band to synthesize their experiences into musical lyrics. Guided by musicians and a psychology mentor, they write and record a song, and then hold a CD release party.
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