Podcasts about songwritingwith soldiers

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Jordyn Hay, Program Director and Lead Facilitator at SongwritingWith:Soldiers, who highlights the Nashville, Tennessee-based nonprofit organization that works nationwide to pair professional songwriters with veterans to share their story and connect with others through the songwriting process. SongwritingWith:Soldiers (SW:S) holds nationwide creativity and wellness based retreats for veterans, active duty, and their families. The organization partners professional musicians and songwriters to lead collaborative songwriting sessions with participants to help put their stories into song, and rounds out the retreats with workshops in creative journaling, mindfulness, nature walks, strengths coaching, and peer to peer community building. Since its founding, the organization has served more than 2,000 combat veterans through retreats and partnership programs. In 2024, more than 1,100 songs were written with veterans and first responders.During the interview, Jordyn discusses the SW:S model and talks about the power of the retreats, including the importance of the facilitators who bring a depth of understanding of positive psychology, post-traumatic growth, and how to use creative outlets to tell one's story. She shares how working with SW:S has allowed her to bring both her lived and learned experiences to help facilitate retreats, guide veterans in telling their stories, and empower both the veterans and their families along their healing journey. Jordyn talks about impact and how a pilot study conducted by Harvard University found participants experienced a 77% increase in hope and optimism post retreat.Jordyn wraps up talking about some of their other programs, partnerships, and initiatives and how the community can get involved, which includes helping to spread the word, create connections, and listen to the music, which is meant to help bridge the gap between civilians and veterans.Learn more about SongwritingWith:Soldiers by visiting https://songwritingwithsoldiers.org/.

American Folk singer-songwriter and author Mary Gauthier talks about her addiction recovery, mental health journey and how she uses songwriting to help veterans with PTSD. She works with veterans on their healing through songwriting with SongwritingWith:Soldiers. “What I try to emphasize is that this can be of service to other people — a lifeline actually, which it often is.” SCUTTLEBUTT VA awards $1.5 million to study using psychedelics for PTSD treatment The Army built a giant concrete pyramid in North Dakota and only used it for six months Vets can opt for ‘green' burials at VA cemeteries through new pilot Special Guest: Mary Gauthier.

Host Jeremy C. Park talks with Jay Clementi, Music Director for SongwritingWith:Soldiers, who highlights the nonprofit organization's mission and efforts to pair professional songwriters with veterans to share their story and connect with others through the songwriting process. Since its founding, the organization has served more than 2,000 combat veterans through retreats and partnership programs, and more than 1,000 songs have been written.During the interview, Jay talks about their model and how the songwriting process impacts the veterans, their families and friends, as well as the songwriters and audiences around the world. He shares some powerful personal examples and how the organization will write with more than 1,000 veterans in 2023 to help them on their healing journey. He also talks about how the community can support their efforts and where you can listen to the songs.Visit www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org to learn more and listen to the songs.

Noel catches up with Maia Sharp. The singer-songwriter has written songs for and collaborated with several musicians including Cher, Trisha Yearwood, Terri Clark, Bonnie Raitt, Lisa Loeb, Edwin McCain, and Art Garfunkel. Maia's latest album, Reckless Thoughts, is set to be released on August 18th. Maia's dad, the Grammy-winning songwriter Randy Sharp, has worked with Maia in the past. She talks about her experience being jetted off to songwriting workshops in a French castle alongside the likes of Carole King, Jon Bon Jovi, The Bangles, and The Go-Gos. In addition to those workshops, Maia is involved with SongwritingWith:Soldiers.

Host Andrew Bartolotta sits down with Kristin Starling, Executive Director of SongwritingWith:Soldiers, a nonprofit transforming lives by using collaborative songwriting to expand creativity, connections and strengths.During the conversation, Kristin talks about the power of their retreats, how to support their efforts and listen to their music, and how their nonprofit sparks further positive change and movement forward for Veterans and First Responders.SongwritingWith:Soldiers is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and this month we recorded the 1,000th song. Speak about professional songwriters, other creative professionals, partnerships, and collaborations. Sharing the songs, building community, staying connected, not catch and release. Give website info to listen to the songs and help others to understand.We know that hearing and sharing these songs has changed lives - increasing feelings of hope. Outcomes - Harvard study and our own long-term survey results.Ways to help - on our website: www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org Listen to and share the more than 600 songs and concerts for free streaming. Donate to support the costs of the retreatsLearn more: https://www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org/

Noel catches up with Darden Smith. The singer-songwriter is out with his latest project, Western Skies. This multi-media collection includes a new album and a book of photography, essays and song lyrics. Darden has released 16 studio albums. The Texas native has founded many songwriting projects including The Be An Artist Program and SongwritingWith:Soldiers.

DARDEN SMITH Open and empty. That's how Darden Smith describes the west Texas landscape that inspired his wildly creative new multi-media project, Western Skies. Comprising a new studio record, a book of photography, lyrics, and essays, and an accompanying album of readings set to music, the collection is an immersive journey through a world both real and imagined, a place of mystery and mythology, possibility and longing. Like his photographs, Smith's writing is steeped in isolation, though rarely lonely; timeless, yet acutely aware of the hours and minutes whizzing by like mileposts on the highway. The songs on Western Skies are spare and deliberate, often marked by a distinct sense of motion and transience, and the performances are similarly raw and intimate, reflecting the desolate beauty of the region that so captured Smith's imagination as he crisscrossed it time and again throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.Over the course of his remarkable three-and-a-half decade career, Smith has released 15 critically lauded studio albums, landed singles on both the country and pop charts (including the Top 10 hit “Loving Arms”), penned a symphony, scored works for theater and dance, published a widely celebrated book on creativity, exhibited works of visual art, and co-founded the non-profit SongwritingWith:Soldiers program, which pairs veterans with musicians in order to tap into the transformational possibilities of collaborative songwriting. (During the pandemic, the Austin-based artist also helped launch Frontline Songs, which connected musicians and healthcare workers to support them in telling their stories and healing their trauma.) The Daily News hailed Smith as “one of the most respected American musicians working today,” while the Austin Chronicle dubbed him a “master song craftsman,” and AllMusic called him “a singer-songwriter blessed with an uncommon degree of intelligence, depth, and compassion.”

Singer songwriter Mary Gauthier has been changing the world one song at a time for the past 20 years. This week, Mary joins host Paula Felps to talk about her new book, Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting, which is a fascinating look at the healing power of music both for those who create it and those who listen to it. She also talks with us about her work with SongwritingWith:Soldiers and Frontline Songs, and how those organizations are using music to help individuals heal from the trauma they've experienced. In this episode, you'll learn: How Mary found her calling as a songwriter. Why music is so important to our mental health. How music is helpful in healing from trauma.

Welcome to Grey Matters Now Episode 30! My last episode with Mary Judd, the director of SongwritingWith:Soldiers (SW:S), left such an huge impact on me that I have not been able to stop thinking about it  really felt like I needed to know more - more about the ripple affects, collective and community healing and collaborations. I became really interested in the perspectives of the songwriters and what the experience and process is like for them. I have had numerous conversations with my friend Will Kimbrough, who is a musician and part of the SongwritingWith:Soldiers team after returning from retreats. Our conversations are SO interesting and are kind of like de-briefs of his fresh experience. I soon realized this program has such a profound affect on the songwriters and that they also leave with new tools to take out into the world and that they too experience healing. I decided there is so much to this, and since the songwriter experience is not publicly discussed much, I wanted to do a whole episode about it. This episode is kind of like the B side of a record. It is not the single, the hit or the name of the album but it is part of the same album.…the same story. The B-side (or "flip-side") is a secondary recording that typically receives less attention, although some B-sides have been as successful as their A-sides. I asked Will how he would like me to introduce him re: his bio. and many projects Instead of listing his accolades, awards, albums, productions or famous people he has worked with, Will simply said "I have had a long and eclectic career, from punk rock bars to bluegrass festivals. Everything has always revolved around the song. I’m a songwriter." Will Kimbrough has spent a lifetime writing songs and performing them, and along the way becoming a respected recording artist, producer and musician. Will has made MANY records - solo and collaborative. His latest album is I Like It Down Here and his next release is Spring Break, a solo acoustic record in the tradition of Folkways and Vanguard folk records. Will's songs have been recorded by Jimmy Buffett, Little Feat, Todd Snider, Jack Ingram, Gretchen Peters and many many others. His production credits include Buffett, Doug Seegers, Todd Snider, Radney Foster and Steve Poltz. Will is a prolific writer and recording artist, a member of Willie Sugarcapps, DADDY and Emmylou Harris' Red Dirt Boys. NPR's Sound Opinions co-host Jim DeRogatis just named Shemekia Copeland's Uncivil War Best Album of 2020 - www.soundopinions.org/show/785 Jim says - "Uncivil War is both angry and empathetic, and that is a rare combination". He does a lot of work for SongwritingWith:Soldiers and has resumed a few, COVID-safe SW:S retreats and recently worked with combat veterans in Northern Virginia and Southern Arizona. SW:S is also partnered with the Warrior PATHH Program Will explains, "I have worked with Combat Veterans and other First Responders dealing with the affects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) quite a bit since the program resumed this past Summer. Most gratifying and deep work." To learn more about Will and be in the loop with all sorts of cool stuff he is doing, visit: www.willkimbrough.com www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org Please check out Will's Patreon - if you're a fan of Will's music, you will love it!

For years I have been a huge fan of the organization SongwritingWith:Soldiers / SW:S and the depth, power and beauty of what they produce. SongwritingWith:Soldiers holds weekend retreats across the U.S. for veterans from all conflicts. Since 2012, we have connected with hundreds of veterans and military families, creating a safe and inspiring environment to share their experiences and write songs with professional songwriters. These songs have been recorded and streamed across the internet, reaching and connecting more veterans and raising civilian awareness of the challenges the military community faces. So… you can only imagine how BEYOND thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to have a conversation with the program director and co-founder Mary Judd. She is a brilliant and down to earth woman, visionary, and trailblazer. Mary is a master at creating collaborative programs that inspire connections and highlight individual and community strengths. When witnessing Darden Smith write a song with a veteran, she was compelled to put her skills to work in creating the SongwritingWith:Soldiers program. With vast experience in Positive Psychology, educational programming and organizational communications, Mary helps SW:S create the most effective and meaningful experiences for everyone involved. Her creative reach is reflected in her client list which includes New York State Department of Economic Development (I LOVE NY); MentorCoach training programs; VIA Institute on Character; Indian Ladder Farms: The Mayerson Academy, The HAPPY Movie; Discovery Retreats, and more. She has studied Positive Psychology with leading researchers from around the world, is an international workshop presenter on the subject and was a discussion facilitator at a United Nations meeting on Happiness and Well-Being. She serves on the editorial board for the India Journal of Positive Psychology and PsyInsight magazine. Mary co-founded The Barn School, an award-winning sustainable agriculture camp that raises funds for family farms and Heifer International®. She earned coaching certifications from Dr. Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania, MentorCoach and others. She has a B.S. in Organizational Communications from the University of Texas at Austin and teaching certifications in Speech, English and Spanish. MARY JUDD Co-Founder/Program Director Mary joined me from her home in New York and, as you can imagine, is incredibly busy. I am super grateful for her generosity of time to discuss this treasure of a program that she has poured her heart and soul into. I want to whole world to know about the power and beauty of this program and that post traumatic healing does exist Make sure you listen to the song at the end of this episode to get a full understanding of the results of this program. It is one of Mary’s favorite’s. The song Strumming hand was written by Maia Sharp and Veteran John Cameron at a performed by Maia Sharp. If you are inspired by this story, want to learn more about or support SW/S please visit www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org/learn/press/ www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org/listen/pbs-concert/ www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org/listen/song-search/

             Warrior-Healer             Blair Morin and James House             11 September 2018 I remember seeing a lot of good in peopleBack when I was a younger manBut I went to war looked into the face of evilChange forever who I amI did my duty, I was unapologeticSwore I’d be there when a brother in needThat's whet you do when you’re a warrior medicGive comfort and aid no matter what you believe But somewhere between then and nowI lost myself Oh oh oh healer - oh oh oh warriorOh oh oh healer - oh oh oh warrior My wife asks me why am I so angryMy kids ask me why am I so scaredThey see it but I don’t burden themCause I’m still fighting that war over there But somewhere between then and nowI got lost myself Oh oh oh healer - oh oh oh warriorOh oh oh healer - oh oh oh warrior I haven’t given up on my brothersThey haven’t given up on meLooking back pushes me forwardFighting to feel the hope that I thought I’d never see Oh oh oh healer - oh oh oh warriorOh oh oh healer - oh oh oh warrior Thank you to Blair and Sarah Morin for your service, sacrificies and your passion to help others with your story. Many thanks to Mr. James House for your service through songwriting, and our friends at SongwritingWith:Soldiers.Thanks to Joe Wallace for photography, and to Chuck Clough at Above The Basement for your support and technical assistance.If you are interested in a great podcast that examines and dissects the songs we all know and love and how they came to be, check out Song Exploder! To learn more and connect with us:www.homebase.org/homebasenationTwitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedInHome Base Nation Production Team:Cassandra Falone, Charlotte Luckey, Steve Monaco, Warrant Officer One Armand Hunter, Sergeant Major Bill DavidsonHome Base Media Lab Chairman:Peter Smyth The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials. 

This episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast is a conversation I had with Texas Songwriter and author Radney Foster…. Initially a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Foster made his recording debut as part of the Foster & Lloyd duo, recording three studio albums and with nine singles on the country charts. Foster began his solo career in 1992 and his album Del Rio, TX 1959 produced four consecutive Top 40 hits. Overall, Foster has had thirteen songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the Top Ten hits "Just Call Me Lonesome" (#10, 1992) and "Nobody Wins" (#2, 1993). His songs have been recorded by Gary Allan, Sara Evans, Keith Urban, Hootie and the Blowfish and Jack Ingram. He is now producing, writing screenplays, short stories and novels. He’s been one of my favorites since I discovered him nearly 20 years ago on a KGSR Radio Compilation CD. I was in Red River to attend Larry Joe Taylor’s Annual Hot Chili Days and Cool Summer Nights Music Festival featuring Texas Singer/Songwriters. Radney was the featured performer at a kick off event on a mountaintop currently serving as Michael Martin Murphey’s Bitter Creek Ranch and through the kindness and tenacity of his manager (and wife) Cyndi Hoelzel, we were able to find a precious block of time before Radney had to leave for sound check. Although Radney, via Cyndi, had agreed to the sit down weeks in advance, with no cell service in town, unknown daily schedule until the day of and limited internet connectivity, it was very challenging to find a suitable venue for our conversation. We settled on the second floor lobby of the rustic Red River Lodge next to the Mother Lode Saloon, windows wide open to the street during an ongoing rain shower. Radney has done yeoman’s work with SongwritingWith Soldiers, a non-profit transforming veterans’ lives by using collaborative songwriting to expand creativity, connections, and strengths. As the mother of a Marine suffering from PTSD, it was an honor and privilege to spend this precious time with Radney Foster….enjoy!

Mary Gauthier joined Folk Alley for an exclusive session at the 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida. Here she talks about working alongside combat veterans and with the SongwritingWith: Soldiers organization to share their experiences. Listen to the interview and watch performances of songs from her latest release, Rifles and Rosary Beads.

(Session originally published in January, 2018) You know, songwriters, the really good ones, have this ability to twist a phrase or choose a word that somehow is exactly right. It's a real gift. But the truth is - everyone, songwriter or not, has a story to share. Not all of us, however, know how to share it. The desire to discover the stories we don't normally get to hear is what inspired Mary Gauthier to start working alongside combat veterans and the SongwritingWith:Soldiers organization a few years back. "We listen to their stories," she says, "And we turn their experiences into songs...We take an experience and turn it into something tangible, something that people everywhere can empathize with." It's an extraordinary project that's turned into a new album for Gauthier, 'Rifles and Rosary Beads,' and she shared a little bit about this remarkable group and the men and women who participate during her exclusive Folk Alley Session with us at this year's 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida.

(Session originally published in January, 2018) You know, songwriters, the really good ones, have this ability to twist a phrase or choose a word that somehow is exactly right. It's a real gift. But the truth is - everyone, songwriter or not, has a story to share. Not all of us, however, know how to share it. The desire to discover the stories we don't normally get to hear is what inspired Mary Gauthier to start working alongside combat veterans and the SongwritingWith:Soldiers organization a few years back. "We listen to their stories," she says, "And we turn their experiences into songs...We take an experience and turn it into something tangible, something that people everywhere can empathize with." It's an extraordinary project that's turned into a new album for Gauthier, 'Rifles and Rosary Beads,' and she shared a little bit about this remarkable group and the men and women who participate during her exclusive Folk Alley Session with us at this year's 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida.

(Session originally published in January, 2018) You know, songwriters, the really good ones, have this ability to twist a phrase or choose a word that somehow is exactly right. It's a real gift. But the truth is - everyone, songwriter or not, has a story to share. Not all of us, however, know how to share it. The desire to discover the stories we don't normally get to hear is what inspired Mary Gauthier to start working alongside combat veterans and the SongwritingWith:Soldiers organization a few years back. "We listen to their stories," she says, "And we turn their experiences into songs...We take an experience and turn it into something tangible, something that people everywhere can empathize with." It's an extraordinary project that's turned into a new album for Gauthier, 'Rifles and Rosary Beads,' and she shared a little bit about this remarkable group and the men and women who participate during her exclusive Folk Alley Session with us at this year's 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida.

(Session originally published in January, 2018) You know, songwriters, the really good ones, have this ability to twist a phrase or choose a word that somehow is exactly right. It's a real gift. But the truth is - everyone, songwriter or not, has a story to share. Not all of us, however, know how to share it. The desire to discover the stories we don't normally get to hear is what inspired Mary Gauthier to start working alongside combat veterans and the SongwritingWith:Soldiers organization a few years back. "We listen to their stories," she says, "And we turn their experiences into songs...We take an experience and turn it into something tangible, something that people everywhere can empathize with." It's an extraordinary project that's turned into a new album for Gauthier, 'Rifles and Rosary Beads,' and she shared a little bit about this remarkable group and the men and women who participate during her exclusive Folk Alley Session with us at this year's 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida.

(Session originally published in January, 2018) You know, songwriters, the really good ones, have this ability to twist a phrase or choose a word that somehow is exactly right. It's a real gift. But the truth is - everyone, songwriter or not, has a story to share. Not all of us, however, know how to share it. The desire to discover the stories we don't normally get to hear is what inspired Mary Gauthier to start working alongside combat veterans and the SongwritingWith:Soldiers organization a few years back. "We listen to their stories," she says, "And we turn their experiences into songs...We take an experience and turn it into something tangible, something that people everywhere can empathize with." It's an extraordinary project that's turned into a new album for Gauthier, 'Rifles and Rosary Beads,' and she shared a little bit about this remarkable group and the men and women who participate during her exclusive Folk Alley Session with us at this year's 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida.

Music has the power to change lives, and nowhere is that more evident than in the powerful SongwritingWith:Soldiers program. This unique program pairs members of the military with professional songwriters to craft songs about their experiences. Through their songs, they learn to release pain, tell their stories and build a strong bond with one another. Program co-founder Mary Judd and singer/songwriter Jay Clementi talk about the power of the program—and what it’s taught them.

We recently published an episode with singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier and talked about her inspiring work with the organization Songwriting with Soldiers. We wanted to create a separate episode with the conversation we had afterwards with a US Marine, veteran Bill Auger, who shared the story of his first songwriting experience on the retreat with professional songwriter Darden Smith, and how the experience and the songs changed his life for the better. Bill is joined by Songwriting with Soldiers co-founder Mary Judd, who talks about the genesis, growth and unique aspects of their mission. Song List: All songs by Mary Gauthier from the album Rifles and Rosary Beads Available at www.marygauthier.com Song 1: Soldering On Song 2: Rifles and Rosary Beads

Singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier has had her songs recorded by the likes by Blake Shelton, Jimmy Buffett, and Tim McGraw and has made several appearances at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, but I was particularly impressed to learn that Bob Dylan knows Mary's story and featured her work in one of his music showcases. One of the causes that Mary is passionate about is helping veterans to work through the trauma that they faced in combat. She has partnered with SongwritingWith:Soldiers to collaborate with veterans to write songs that explore the emotional truths of their war-time experiences. This cause is so important to Mary that she partnered with Veterans Airlift Command to fly in veteran Josh Geartz so that perform with her at the Grand Ole Opry. This connection can save lives. It literally can save lives.” - Mary Gauthier Mary's upcoming album, Rifles & Rosary Beads, comes out in January 2018, and all the songs in it are co-written with veterans connected to SongwritingWith:Soldiers. Mary and her team graciously shared "Bullet Holes in the Sky," one of the songs from the new album, which you can hear it at the end of our episode. Some of the things that we discuss include How Mary's early traumas shaped her development as an artist Mary's approach to getting her songs on the radar of prominent recording artists A technique for getting laconic veterans to open up about the struggles they've faced Why taking care of our veterans is a unifying issue across the political spectrum How can artists effectively speak up about challenging social issues Finding success in the music industry while staying sober Learning to listen for the God lines # Want to hear another veteran-related episode? Check out this interview with Justin Roberts, a chaplain who followed his battalion into Afghanistan and back and made a documentary called No Greater Love, currently in select theaters. General Stanley McCrystal said of the film “No Greater Love cuts to the heart of why our warriors serve and needs to be seen by every American.” Show notes are here. # Sponsor for this Episode Fable House and I are partnering together to produce distinguished music videos for bands who want to share their music in personable and unforgettable ways. Based in Louisiana, Fable House is a production company that has produced millions of dollars worth of content. Their team has done vfx work for projects like Game of Thrones, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Star Trek: Into Darkness and they've worked with or shot for Dr. John, Essence Festival, Kendrick Lamar, Ron Howard's company New Form Digital, and Jared Leto's Thirty Seconds to Mars.   https://vimeo.com/147341881 # Let's discuss how we can help your music stand out: podcast@nsavides.com   # Related Things Mary's site Mary on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter Mary's keynote at CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference 2017 SongwritingWith:Soldiers Trent Reznor's interview on Vulture (my take: how not to take on decisive issues) No Greater Love film Thank You for Your Service film Trent's War, my short film about a soldier battling PTSD Music for the show provided by Rob Costlow # Music Mentioned Mary's songs "I Drink" (recorded by Tim McGraw) "Mercy Now" "Wheel Inside the Wheel" (recorded by Jimmy Buffett) "Worthy" (cowritten with Beth Nielsen, recorded by Bettye LaVette) # If You Liked the Show Sign up for The nsavides Newsletter. Subscribe or leave a friendly review: bit.ly/nsavidesPodcast Stitcher Say hello on Twitter:  @nsavidesPRO Thank you for visiting!  

Cathartic rock from both the New Jersey band Pinegrove and the Canadian duo known as Partner; Glasgow singer-songwriter Siobhan Wilson's dark and brooding "There Are No Saints"; and NPR Music's Anastasia Tsioulcas joins us to talk about some of her favorite artists from this year's Womex, the World Music Expo, held in Katowice, Poland.We've got two songs that directly address both the seeming epidemic of harassment and the violence in Texas. The first comes from singer Mary Gauthier, who wrote her upcoming album, Rifles And Rosary Beads, as part of the SongwritingWith:Soldiers project, The second song is from Stella Donnelly, an Australian songwriter who confronts victim-blaming with the plaintive and deeply upsetting, "Boys Will Be Boys."Also on this week's show:

Darden Smith is a veteran songwriter with 15 albums under his belt, with frequent touring, writing and performing his mix of Americana, country and rock. In addition to this he has an amazing project called SongwritingWith:Soldiers that pairs professional songwriters, in retreat settings, with active duty and veteran military members to write songs based on their experiences of combat and returning home.

Thirteen albums into a storied career as a singer-songwriter, Darden Smith is also a humanitarian. I'd already been familiar with his music for some time and was intrigued to hear about his non-profit SongwritingWith:Soldiers at the 14th Street Apple Store in Manhattan. The purpose of SW:S is to connect professional songwriters with active duty and veteran military members to write songs from their combat stories and the experience of returning home.  Darden's emotions for the soldiers was palpable as he spoke of several success stories that happened during the program's songwriting retreats. His latest album, 2013's Love Calling, is a gorgeous organic tone poem on par with Tracy Chapman's New Beginning album. Love Calling includes my favorite track, the haunting "Baltimore", which I must confess I play on repeat. Our conversation explores his career and songwriting process plus the inception of SW:S. Visit Darden Smith online: www.dardensmith.com For more information on SongwritingWith: Soldiers: www.songwritingwithsoldiers.org/   Talk Music Talk Playlist/009: Darden Smith This week's Spotify playlist is another personally chosen Best Of spanning the career of Darden Smith. From his debut Native Soul to the aforementioned Love Calling, Darden's music is a study in grace and strength. http://open.spotify.com/user/therattlecat/playlist/7sY9gPgr6sguKT73fTIWQY   For more information on TMT, visit: www.talkmusictalk.comOr my personal site: www.thisisboice.com Subscribe to my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/thisisboice?sub_confirmation=1   Subscribe to TMT on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/talk-music-talk-with-boice/id942357796?mt=2 Or Stitcher Radio: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=57350&refid=stpr If you enjoy the podcast, please take a moment to leave a review and/or rating. Thanks!   "Liz (The Talk Music Talk Theme)"-long version Composed on an iPad by boice. https://soundcloud.com/thisisboice/liz-talk-music-talk-theme