Dendy,
Congratulations on your new position and your new mission!
I've been a professional musician for 45 years, and I also changed the direction of my career. It was in 2011, when I became rather discontent with performing and began to reflect on my reason for playing music. I realized that music brought me happiness but even more importantly, it brought peace to my life.
At this same time, I kept finding news stories about the suicide rate among the Veterans community - but I was also - "...standing at a distance... Waiting on the world to change."
So, I decided to reach out to Veterans to share the gift of music in the hopes of ending the Veteran suicide epidemic. That was the beginning of the Music for Veterans program. Now, in cooperation with the VA and Vet Centers, my mission is providing Veterans with instruments, music lessons and the opportunity to once again experience the camaraderie they had enjoyed in the military by playing in the Music for Veterans band.
Nothing compares to helping someone find peace in their life and one Veteran finding peace through music reverberates not only through their family but through the entire Veteran community!
Peace, Vinny Stefanelli www.Music4Veterans.org