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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 21 July 2018
With singer Mary Gauthier, military veterans find a voice

By MESFIN FEKADU And they're into that. They
Associated Press want to continue to be of
NEW YORK (AP) — There's a service."
date on Josh Geartz's cal- Geartz has seen the effect
endar that the former U.S. the song he co-wrote, "Still
Army sergeant has been On the Ride," has had on
looking forward to for quite others when he performed
some time. the song with Gauthier at
Aug. 10 will mark the Grand Ole Opry and
Geartz's fourth re- Ryman Auditorium in Nash-
treat with the nonprofit ville (he plays harmonica
SongwritingWith:Soldiers — on the track).
his first session there in 2015 "I had a female come up to
saved his life. Literally. me after one of our shows,
"I'd already attempted sui- she goes, 'Can I give you
cide twice," the 38-year-old a hug? I just want to thank
said, "both times were more you.
of a reaction and wasn't a I haven't been able to show
planned thing. It was more any emotion for years and I
in the moment, like, 'All was able to cry tonight,'" he
right, screw this.' So I was recalled.
like, 'Third time's a charm. "And then I had a lady call
I'm going to get it right this me and say listening to the
time.' I had my plan. I knew four-minute song answered
when, where, how." 50 years of questions she
His wife had told him about had about her father," he
a SongwritingWith:Soldiers added. "It kind of gave me
session coming up in a a purpose and a mission to
month near their home in support and promote this
Albany. The wheelchair- organization that helped
bound Geartz, who was save my life."
in the army from 1999 to Geartz, who was wounded
2004 and served in Iraq by an improvised explosive
and Kosovo, eventually de- device in 2003, lugged his
cided to go. There, he met wheelchair for 422 miles
folk singer-songwriter Mary last summer for veteran
Gauthier. He credits her suicide awareness. The fa-
with changing and saving ther of two will return as a
his life. volunteer to the upcoming
"I think that once you get SongwritingWith:Soldiers
to that point where you event, giving a helping
truly believe that people hand to veterans in the way
are better off without you, others assisted him. Song-
you're at your lowest. And writer Georgia Middleman
then I think some of that will help craft songs and
started to change a bit In this Feb. 8, 2018 photo, musician Mary Gauthier poses for a portrait in New York to promote her the retreat also includes
when I told Mary every- veteran inspired record "Rifles & Rosary Beads." sessions on cooking, yoga
thing. I told her stuff that I Associated Press and videography. Geartz
didn't tell anyone, nobody will teach a class on the
knew, and she just basically ganization. words. Music can come in They've taught me humil- harmonica, which he has
gave me a hug and said, "Rifles & Rosary Beads," and fill the gap where there ity. They've taught me ser- played since was 7.
'Man that sucks, but I'm re- the critically acclaimed are no words. So I can find vice, at a very deep level, "It's like a big family reunion
ally glad you're here.' And 11-song project, recently the music, and all the song- sacrifice. They've taught — one of the family re-
I'm just like, 'Whoa,'" he re- earned a nomination for al- writers can find the music me consistency. They've unions you want to go to,"
called. bum of the year at the 2018 that sounds like what the taught me about love." Geartz said.
"I've had therapists break Americana Music Honors & feeling is and that conveys Gauthier had worked with For Gauthier, the process
down and cry in the mid- Awards, to be held Sept. 12 the feelings." SongwritingWith:Soldiers for "feels like my passion has
dle of sessions and leave in Nashville, Tennessee. Gauthier wants to be clear over four years, complet- collided with purpose."
the room. So I'm expecting "One of the beautiful things — though she knows the ing close to 15 sessions and "I am very, very lucky to
something like that. Instead about the way that it works process has helped veter- writing roughly 40 songs. have been given this op-
I got support." is that the songwriters are ans — she, too, has learned "I think we have a lot of sto- portunity to midwife these
Geartz's experience has not therapists. So we don't so much while listening to ries about soldiers, or about songs and then to be the
been repeated by other have a duty to not cry or their stories and turning war. I don't know if it's ever one to bring them into the
veterans, who have found to assess them. You know, them into songs. been done before where world. I feel a sense of right-
peace and newfound we're just songwriters, so "I think that's important it's it's done with them, so that ness about it, that I have
hope with the program and I can cry if I need to, and not couched as if I'm doing these are their words," she mined myself thoroughly.
Gauthier, who released an I do cry. We all cry, and this Mother Teresa thing. said. "And somewhere in I've said what I need to say
album this year exclusively we cry together," Gauthier It doesn't work that way," the process the veteran about me. And the next
featuring songs co-written said. the 56-year-old said with a starts to see, 'Oh my God, right thing for me as an art-
with veterans and their "With any trauma, it's inef- laugh. "I'm getting every bit this story might help other ist, clearly, is to help give
family members from ses- fable at its core, you can't as much as I give. Soldiers people. To tell it might be a voice to other people's
sions with the nonprofit or- find the words, there are no have taught me so much. continuation of my service.' story."q