Music Vets

           Music Vets tells the story of three proud U.S. military veterans in different stages of recovery from PTSD and/or Traumatic Brain Injuries. Set in the coastal military communities of Southern California, and the hustle and bustle of New York City; Lito, Ben, and Deborah offer us a glimpse of humanity’s resiliency in the face of adversity. Though they each have very different backgrounds and military experience, all three use the therapeutic power of music to cope and recover – unlocking emotions and finding new ways forward.

           The stories in the film showcase how music can be incorporated as a non-pharmaceutical alternative or supplement to treatments that are often costly, debilitating, or sometimes even deadly. While the film’s focus is on music therapy for military populations, it shows how this under-studied and under-funded treatment can help anyone in crisis – not just Veterans.

         With no mandatory service requirements since the Vietnam War and less than 1% of the population serving in the military, the disconnect between military and civilian populations creates a gap in understanding many veterans’ issues. Music Vets weaves its way through diverse veteran subcultures, revealing intimate, delicate structures of care, family, treatment, and the transformative use of music to aid in their healing processes.

        During their journeys, Lito, Ben, and Deborah discover that music can be used to reach non-musical goals, for example: singing to reconnect neural pathways, songwriting to process trauma, and drumming to reactivate bilateral coordination in the brain.

       As our scientific understanding of music increases, the things we’ve taken for granted about its power and human connection have emerged as having real therapeutic outcomes. Whether recovering from physical or mental wounds, music can play an important part in trauma-focused care and builds tangible skills that can be used when needed most.