David , St. Romaine , belted out a hoarse rhythm as he plucked the cords of his guitar.
His palms swayed across the tones as they each listened to the suffering, triumphs, and struggles of the people who were seated in circles around him.
St. Romaine, a singer and musician who spent more than 20 years performing on American levels, turned in his camera almost five years ago and began using song to heal the wounds of military veterans.
That’s when he founded Songs of Victims, a volunteer aimed at helping veterans deal with a myriad of career struggles through writing. The business crisscrossed the state late, staging writing workshops in , Monroe,  , Lafayette , and , Baton Rouge.
My career has been greatly impacted by this job. It’s truly changed my life” , , St. Romaine , told the group of former servicemen and women that gathered during a , May 16 , jam session inside the old house of former , Louisiana , Gov.  , Jimmie Davis. ” Being able to accomplish this has been a very fulfilling experience for me.”
About 15 veterans traveled from various pockets of the position to sit in on the weeklong workshop at the seaside house house that sits in the shadow of the existing- day , Governor’s Mansion , in downtown , Baton Rouge.
It was an imaginative training in exorcising the spirits that many men and women encounter while serving in the military or after leaving the military causes. Many of those who attended the , May 16 , factory in , Baton Rouge , were on the road to healing after severe periods with drug and alcohol addiction. Some people had post-traumatic stress disorder, while others had crippling wounds they had sustained while enlisting in their state.
The team shared incredibly personalized tales about their individual journeys following discharge, their early experiences in the military, and their respective journeys. Some had endured homelessness, a dozen dealt with thoughts of suicide, while people lost their freedom when their livelihoods spiraled into spiral. One of the participants incarcerated for decades for a drug-fueled violence.
Through the pain, damage and shattered desires, the veterans managed to pick up the items of their lives through therapy.
Wayne Jackson , said he battled with habit for more than 40 times. He participated in numerous rehab and treatment programs. It was n’t until he began a 12- step program at the Townsend rehab center in , Covington , that he finally shared that he was molested in childhood. The discovery came as a result of a personal inventory he referred to as” cleaning your bedroom.”
Jackson claimed it let him loose from a fear that had remained ingrained throughout his career. After he finishes the treatment plan in Covington, he now wants to concentrate on helping other veterans.
Jackson described his healing journey as” I ultimately let all that out through the guidance where I’m at.” ” I’m doing all I is to enhance myself and avoid returning to where I was.” I’m looking ahead in life, I’m not looking behind me”.
The Songs of Survivors staff collaborated with the veterans to create a lyrical, sound tale of devotion, forgiveness, and discovering contemporary angels in the body using the collection of testimonies as his muse.  , St. Romaine , and his staff of skilled songwriters facilitated the individuals ‘ suggestions to curate a song and lyrics.  , Susan Mustafa, who co- authored a New York Times bestseller about finding the Zodiac criminal in 2014, is a part of that team. She gave a meticulous reading and massaged the phrases in real time throughout the process.
The workshop’s final product was a waxed recording of the team’s individual experience.  , Travis Frost, a marine former from , Slidell , who plays devices and has been part of songs, said the studio was encouraging.
” It was fun. It was certainly an knowledge”, he said. The fact that it was woven into everyone’s narrative is what made it more significant than anything else. It’s not about one person, it was n’t one person’s creative mind. It was collaborative”.
The participants may develop on the togetherness from the studio and use the creative process as a tool in the long run, according to Amy Vranic, a certified professional counselor who specializes in treating vets.
Because it’s a traditional, but nontraditional outlet, situations like this and using audio or any other form of artistic expression can be very therapeutic, Vranic said. ” Instead of just sitting in an office and saying,’ Hey, this is what I’m going through,’ this is an exact method to get the story told. And letting it be their own account, not someone else’s”.
St. Romaine, who spent more than 20 times in the entertainment business attempting to break into fame as a recording artist, is receiving a healing release from the workshops. Millions of viewers watched him perform each week when he appeared on , USA Network ‘s ,” Nashville Star” in 2007, placing third in the TV singing competition.
The show took his career to new heights. But after being on the road for years,  , St. Romaine , became frustrated that he still was n’t able to secure a record deal with a major label. He fell into depression and his addictions intensified.
He started on the path to sobriety and redemption when he started using his music to treat young girls who had been sex trafficked in 2017.
The lieutenant governor introduced him to a pilot program to help military veterans through music a year later. That was the genesis for Songs of Survivors, which , St. Romaine , launched in 2019.
Over the past five years, he’s conducted workshops all over the state, assisting hundreds of vets in purging their souls one note at a time. Describing music as the “most underestimated tool we have at our disposal” , , St. Romaine , said it has the power to shift people’s thoughts, feelings and emotions neurologically. Additionally, the workshops are intended to serve as a treatment forum.
He said,” I just want to be able to impact veterans ‘ lives in a way that has never before been seen.” ” We had at least one veteran who said they’ve never said this in front of anyone before. And that’s what we strive for is to bring that space for vulnerability. Just to give them a place to express these stories in their lives.
To learn more about Songs of Survivors, go to , sosmusic. org
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