{"id":5257,"date":"2026-09-04T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/playing-from-the-heart-finding-healing-and-connection-through-music\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T14:30:00","slug":"playing-from-the-heart-finding-healing-and-connection-through-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=5257","title":{"rendered":"Playing from the heart: Finding healing and connection through music"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A lifelong composer shares how creativity and therapy shape his experience<\/h2>\n

Music is widely adored by those who listen, but for the composer, it reveals a world unto itself,\u00c2\u00a0a space where inward wanderings are transposed into outward brilliance.<\/p>\n

For more than 70 years, Army Veteran Daniel Bremer has reveled in this space. This year, the lifelong pianist attended his third consecutive National Veterans Creative Arts Festival<\/a> (NVCAF).<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cAll art enriches my life, and this competition is one of those areas that did me so much good,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Bremer said. \u00e2\u0080\u009cThere\u00e2\u0080\u0099s something about the arts that skips all the non-essentials and gets right to the point;\u00c2\u00a0it brings you to a point where the therapy can work.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

Bremer has participated in Bay Pines VA Healthcare System\u00e2\u0080\u0099s<\/a> local creative arts competition since 2022 and is one of four Bay Pines VA Veterans who were invited to attend the 2026 national festival. This year, he was selected for two first-place musical compositions: one a cover of an existing tune, and the other an original composition titled \u00e2\u0080\u009cMissing You,\u00e2\u0080\u009d which you can\u00c2\u00a0listen to below.<\/p>\n

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Sparked from the heart<\/h2>\n

Bremer\u00e2\u0080\u0099s\u00c2\u00a0composition\u00c2\u00a0came to life\u00c2\u00a0in late 2024, around Christmas, when he found himself overcome by nostalgia. Led by that sense of longing, he\u00c2\u00a0let the feeling carry him to the piano.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cWhen I play, I\u00e2\u0080\u0099m actually feeling [my emotions] in every phrase, with every note,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Bremer said. \u00e2\u0080\u009cPlaying the piano is praying without words.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

The local and national creative arts competitions<\/a> are\u00c2\u00a0provided through VA\u00c2\u00a0recreational therapy, giving Veterans more than 20 categories through which to express themselves. The artistic mediums include sculpture, photography, dance and writing. Every Veteran enrolled in VA healthcare is welcome to participate.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cWe want to hear from Veterans, we want to see your story, and we want to experience this with you,\u00e2\u0080\u009d said Erin Todd,\u00c2\u00a0music therapist at Bay Pines VA. \u00e2\u0080\u009cThere\u00e2\u0080\u0099s always heartache and challenge, but to see folks who leave my office and feel heard and feel that sense of hope,\u00c2\u00a0that\u00e2\u0080\u0099s a very powerful thing.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

For Bremer, attending the festival is as much about connection as it is about creativity. \u00e2\u0080\u009cWhen I\u00e2\u0080\u0099m with other Veterans, I feel very relaxed. I feel I can be very authentic,\u00e2\u0080\u009d he said. \u00e2\u0080\u009cAlthough all our experiences are different, there\u00e2\u0080\u0099s something that ties us all together,\u00c2\u00a0something\u00c2\u00a0of\u00c2\u00a0a spiritual nature that we share.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

Bremer\u00e2\u0080\u0099s musical abilities were forged long before his introduction to VA\u00e2\u0080\u0099s creative arts programs, but those who work with him say his participation has helped him flourish.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cI\u00e2\u0080\u0099ve seen him be more willing to put himself out there and be more social,\u00e2\u0080\u009d said Todd, who coordinates Bay Pines VA\u00e2\u0080\u0099s annual local competition. \u00e2\u0080\u009cIt doesn\u00e2\u0080\u0099t matter what your talent or your skill level is. We will help you figure out how to grow, how to express yourself, and how to find healing in a way that can be new and refreshing.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Topics in this story<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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national veterans creative arts festival<\/a>Recreational Therapy<\/a>VISN 2: VA Southeast Health Network<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA<\/a> or call 1-800-698-2411. Please, never put personally identifiable information (SSAN<\/abbr>, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health information into the form \u00e2\u0080\u0094 it will be deleted for your protection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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