who we are
“Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.”
Leonard Bernstein
OUR MISSION
To Empower Veterans, Active Duty Military, And Their Families To Tell Their Stories Through The Process Of Songwriting.
OUR VISION
To be recognized as the premier songwriting organization serving the active-duty military and veteran community, to expand our programs stateside and overseas, and to train others in our model.
OUR HISTORY
Grammy and Dove Award-nominated Nashville songwriter, Bob Regan, had the inspiration for Operation Song® in the 2000s while performing on Armed Forces Entertainment Tours at military bases in the Middle-East. On those tours, Regan met many service members with very compelling stories and thought that pairing them with songwriters — natural storytellers — might create some very compelling music. He was also made aware of the large number of service-related injuries, issues, and illnesses related to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that some service members were having challenging transitions back to “normal” life. The idea was that transforming their story into a song might help them process seemingly random and chaotic events and emotions of their service and give them some order, perspective and validation.
In 2012, the program started with weekly sessions at the VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro, TN under the supervision of a music therapist. Groups of as many as eight veterans would tell stories about their military service and professional songwriters would transform them into song. The format gradually evolved from writing group songs to focusing on the individual veterans or service members and their experiences.
Operation Song® soon began sponsoring weekend retreats in Ft. Benning, GA, Chattanooga, TN, Little Rock, AR, Pensacola, FL, and New York City, NY. To date, Operation Song® has written nearly 1,500 songs with veterans of WWII to those currently serving. Our reach has extended nationwide with onsite retreats, charitable events, and on-line virtual retreats.
There has never been, nor will there ever be, a charge to any veteran or family member for our services. It is our honor to serve those who have served.
