How one Nebraska nonprofit is using music to treat veterans with PTSD

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00:00In an auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska, a group of veterans grip their guitars,

00:07some notes shaky, others ringing clear. At the center, a voice guides them, steady and warm.

00:17As chords ripple through the room, it's more than music, it's a lifeline.

00:30For many service members, the fight does not end when they leave the battlefield.

00:44Post-traumatic stress disorder affects roughly seven percent of all veterans,

00:49often bringing anxiety, depression and sleepless nights. In 2022, the suicide rate among veterans

00:56nearly double that of those that have not served. But these veterans are trying a different kind of

01:02therapy. Hero's Encore is turning guitars, chords and melodies into tools for healing.

01:08I had a severe PTSD crisis and, you know, just laying there on the floor contemplating life.

01:16And in that place, I just began to think about my children, the legacy I would be leaving them.

01:26In fact, going back to my birth father, who was a Vietnam vet, who succumbed to PTSD by suicide

01:34when I was three. Taylor Olum founded Hero's Encore to give other veterans a chance at recovery.

01:40The nine month program combines guitar lessons, songwriting and public performance,

01:45all designed to strengthen the mind and the spirit.

02:02Music engages multiple areas of the brain at once, helping regulate emotions and lower anxiety.

02:08Being able to be immersed with veterans again, you just have that that brotherhood,

02:14that camaraderie. It's just something you don't experience anywhere else. And then being able to

02:20play music with each other on top of that, it just it really truly is just wonderful.

02:25Once they've mastered the basics, members move into songwriting and jam sessions. It's here they

02:32start to channel their experiences without being forced to dwell on trauma.

02:36You know, when I'm playing music, I'm not focused on some of the mental health problems I have or,

02:41you know, what's going on in life. I'm just focused on learning the craft. And so it's been

02:49really positive and it's been a really good coping mechanism.

02:54The final stage is performance. Veterans step on stage, face an audience and experience good stress.

03:00day one, I tell everybody good stress is still stress and a dysregulated nervous system can't tell the

03:07difference. Even for older veterans, the impact is profound. Patricia White Bear, a Navy veteran,

03:14joined the program to pursue her dream of playing the guitar. I think it brought out another side of my

03:22temperament and my personality. I think it made me feel that I had more value than just being a person

03:31there. I had a talent that I'm going to explore. Music therapy is not just a creative outlet. It's a

03:39clinically recognized approach that helps alleviate PTSD symptoms. According to recent studies, by engaging

03:46multiple brain regions simultaneously, music can stimulate neural pathways, enhance emotional

03:51regulation, improve mood, lower anxiety, and foster social connection. The study found that expressive

03:58art therapies, including music, have shown small to moderate benefits in reducing PTSD and depressive

04:05symptoms among veterans. Heroes Encore is tailored for veterans, first responders, and transitioning

04:11service members. The full experience, from equipment to performance opportunities, cost the nonprofit

04:17about $5,000 per participant. The program relies on volunteers, skilled instructors, and funding to

04:24sustain its mission. The investment pays off. Veterans leave with confidence, community, and hope.

04:31For Taylor Olem, the mission is clear. I see a wrapped tour bus going city to city,

04:37preaching, mental health, resilience, through the power of music and community, and that we take the

04:44spark and ignite it nationwide. Every chord strummed, every lyric sung, is a reminder that they've survived

04:51and that they still have more to share. The best thing anybody can do is show up as a fan. Show up as a fan

05:00in the comments and social media cheering our heroes on. Show up to the live events and be there to cheer them on.

05:07For

05:17Straight Arrow News, I'm Alexandra Nolte. For more in-depth reporting, download the Straight Arrow

05:22News app or head to san.com.

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