Stories and Songs from our Music Therapy Retreats

Music Therapy of the Rockies provides evidence-based music therapy practices to support veterans and other people who experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

We host regular music therapy retreats, at no cost to the participants, so they can gain mental wellness through the power of music. During the retreat, we utilize music therapy “best practices,” including goal setting, mindfulness, songwriting experiences with professional songwriters, and adapted guitar instruction.

Our approach helps people identify triggers, learn coping skills for self-regulation, and reframe lived experiences.

As part of the Retreat experience, each veteran receives a brand-new Breedlove Guitar which they use to work on physiological and psychological skills through playing and writing their own music.

About Todd Foster and “The Journey Home”

I was at a Wounded Warrior Project retreat, and one of the leaders told us the story of The Odyssey, how Odysseus had been a ruler before he left to fight in the war. After finally returning home, he found himself living as a pauper, trying to win his wife back.

As he told that story, I was moved to tears. I knew what it was like to come home with PTSD and struggle to relate to my family.

Shortly after that, I was walking and heard a Red Hot Chili Peppers song about not giving up. As I listened to the beat and put one foot in front of the other, I realized that was what the journey home was like: it’s a place we arrive one step at a time.

When I got to the Music Therapy of the Rockies retreat, I had a set of notes from The Odyssey and the beat from the Red Hot Chili Peppers song. I was paired with a songwriter, Owen, who had also read The Odyssey and was able to capture a similar feel for this song. It was a journey for me to go from being so impacted by that story to sharing it with others; I share the song with as many people as I can.

We are all familiar with the stories of mythological warriors like Odysseus. This song imagines what they might have been feeling and the timelessness of the warrior experience. It’s a reminder to not give up on life, to not give up on others, and to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

To any veteran out there who is struggling, I hope this song encourages you to take the first step on the journey home.

Listen to a preview of Todd’s song with Owen here:

Support Mental Wellness for Veterans

Music Therapy of the Rockies has served more than 100 veterans at retreats in Tennessee, Colorado, Maryland, and beyond.

With just a $100 donation, you can receive this song — along with two full albums that give you an inside look at our retreats. The stories and songs compiled here highlight our veterans’ experiences.

Listen to memories unfold, as veterans’ experiences are explored and captured in song.