Music has the power to change lives, and today you're going to hear how one movement is combining

songwriting and positive psychology to create lasting change.

Yeah, we've heard that a lot, and they say when I need to remember what I'm capable of,

or when I need to remember that people really do care, I just push play.

Hello, and welcome to a special episode of Live Happy Now.

This is Paula Phelps, and on behalf of all of us here at Live Happy, I'd like to thank you for making us part of your day.

Today, we're excited to be talking about songwriting with soldiers.

This is a powerful program that pairs professional songwriters with military service men and women

to help veterans tell their stories, rebuild

their trust, and release some of the pain of their experiences.

It was created in 2012 by Mary Judd, a positive communications specialist and singer-songwriter

Darden Smith. This program has changed the lives of hundreds of veterans and their families.

Let's hear from Mary as she explains how this program started

and what makes it so powerful. Mary, thank you so much for joining us here today. I know the listeners

of Live Happy Now are really going to be excited to hear about this project that you're doing.

And it's something I've been excited about and wanted to talk to you for a couple of years now.

So thank you so much for coming on the show.

Well, thank you for having me, Paula.

I'm excited to talk about it, too.

Well, I think the best starting place is for you to be able to explain to us what songwriting with Soldiers is all about.

So Songwriting with Soldiers is a 501C3 nonprofit organization that was started in 2012 with the

purpose of using collaborative songwriting to build creativity, connections, and strengths.

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