The Journey of MusiCorps Continues

Monday, January 7, 2019

The positive power of music for veterans

Classically trained pianist Arthur Bloom created MusiCorps in 2007 after being invited to visit a soldier recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The soldier, a drummer who had lost his leg to a roadside bomb, was concerned about whether he would ever be able to play the drums again.

Bloom committed to not only helping this soldier, but any injured veteran who wished to learn or relearn an instrument as a core part of their rehabilitation. MusiCorps has since become a pioneer in the field of adaptive music, and helped countless wounded warriors in their recovery. In recognition of his ongoing work with wounded veterans through the arts, Bloom was selected as a Top 10 CNN Hero of 2014.

With MusiCorps, disabilities disappear and severely injured veterans soar, reaching the highest levels of musical achievement. The mission of MusiCorps continues at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD and is planning to expand to the west coast in San Diego, an outstanding community where the arts and military are entrenched for the health and well-being of active duty, veterans, their families, and caregivers.

The performance component, MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band, has performed at the Grand Ole Opry and Madison Square Garden, and has been featured on PBS and NCIS. In an incredible appearance at the Kennedy Center, Arthur Bloom and the MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band perform “Wide River to Cross” by Levon Helm with Yo-Yo Ma, featured speaker at the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy, an annual event sponsored by Americans for the Arts.

Visit the MusiCorps website for more information about the power of music to heal our wounded warriors.  For more information about how the arts contribute to the health and well-being of our service members, veterans, their families and caregivers, please visit the National Initiative for Arts & Health in the Military at Americans for the Arts.

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Source Name: 
WTNH/WCTX News 8, New Haven, CT
Author Name: 
ABC News