PUBLISHED JULY 21, 2016
Soldier Songs and Voices benefit to be held in Ruskin
By LISA STARK
Supporters of veterans and the music community will merge together for a first-time charity benefit to be held on Saturday, July 23, from noon to 4 p.m., at Mango Jo’s, 2626 E. College Ave. in Ruskin. The public is welcome to attend, with all proceeds benefitting the local chapter of Soldier Songs and Voices, coordinated by founder Ray Hodges of Sarasota.
Soldier Songs and Voices is a national nonprofit organization that began in Austin, Texas, with a mission to help veterans heal from the trauma of battle through music. Soldier Songs and Voices provides musical instruction, instruments and songwriting workshops to help veterans express their feelings and experiences of war.
Ray Hodges, a Vietnam veteran and longtime Manatee County schoolteacher, is the founder of the Sarasota/Manatee chapter, and he identifies with the many veterans who return home uninterested in being involved with others, often due to post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Many veterans have turned to music to help express what they otherwise cannot.
“Dealing with PTSD can often put you in dark place,” said Hodges. “It’s not always easy to overcome. Sometimes you need others who can understand where you’ve been and what you’ve been through.”
“Over the years, I’ve always turned to music to lift me up,” said Hodges. “I was diagnosed with PTSD, and had a hard time expressing my feelings and sharing my experiences with others. I absolutely believe music has helped in my healing.”
Hodges believes that emotional conditions can be treated best with the camaraderie of a group of veterans who can share their experiences — experiences that are foreign to the general population.
“Our group supports telling their stories in song,” said Hodges. “We don’t call it therapy, but that’s really what it is.”
Singer/songwriter Debbie Hood of Bradenton, who is performing at the event, has volunteered with the group for years. “She is a true treasure to us,” said Hodges.
Other performers at Mango Jo’s will include Bill Vinhage and Gerry Bell of Ger’s Canned Jam in Sun City Center, among others. All funds raised at the Mango Jo’s Benefit will be used to purchase guitars for veterans and to create CDs of veterans’ music to sell at future fundraisers.
Soldier Songs and Voices now has chapters in 11 states, and provides guitars and music instruction to vets, pairing them with music educators and performers in their area. Some chapters have produced CDs of veterans’ original songs, generating funds that are used for support for veterans.
The Sarasota/Manatee chapter has collaborated with Arts for Health Sarasota–Manatee, formerly the Coalition For Arts and Health, a nonprofit organization promoting the integration of arts and the healthcare industry. Its mission is to further the use of the creative arts to achieve health and wellness and to connect individuals with art and healthcare organizations in their area.
“We are trying to get more recent vets to want to get involved,” said Hodges. “Most people who have responded have been people my age, but we are now trying to increase our outreach to younger generations who have served in more recent wars.”
Soldier Songs and Voices Sarasota–Manatee chapter meets on Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Palmer Pavilion behind American Legion Kirby Stewart Post 24, 2000 75th St. W., Bradenton.
For more information on Soldier Songs and Voices, visit www.soldierssongsandvoices.org/ssv, call Ray Hodges at 941-448-0952, or email hodgesr7@gmail.com.