Semper Sound: Military Music Therapy Program By Stacey Sargent
“I struggle to do what makes me happy but playing with that song makes me feel pure joy and makes me want to live.” – Semper Sound Participant The world today can be a stressful place for anyone, and for service members and veterans experiencing challenges such as post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury, that stress can create barriers to fully experiencing life. Military participants, specifically, need ways to process a ‘new normal’ if medically separated or disabled. Activities such as bonding with family and navigating civilian life can become tasks that feel too difficult to manage when symptoms arise, and the results of these experiences can lead to hopelessness and isolation. However, thanks to the support of the community, those living in San Diego County have a respite from what can sometimes feel like a bombardment of stressors. Resounding Joy, which began as a team of volunteers offering music therapy-informed supportive experiences for socially-isolated seniors, has grown to include Semper Sound.
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WWW.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2022
Semper Sound is Resounding Joy’s program for military service members, veterans, and their families who need resilience and self-efficacy, a safe space to practice decision-making, and permission to express emotions and experiences.
Semper Sound offers music therapy led by trauma-informed Board-Certified music therapists (MT-BC), who serve as coaches, teachers, and guides for participants.
The team strives to transform the health and well-being of San Diego County by employing music as a therapeutic medium to effectively address physical, emotional, social, and cognitive goals. Music’s unique ability to target and navigate damaged areas of the brain and transcend verbal communication makes it a powerful tool when in the hands of a qualified professional.
