Music nonprofit veteran, Sara Sharpe, has had an illustrious career dedicated to using music as a tool for healing and community building. Starting at KCRW in the early 1990s, she eventually found her way to the GRAMMY Foundation, where she managed grantmaking in music research and preservation. After moving to Nashville in 2011, Sharpe became the Development Director at Nashville Opera, where she reconnected with the VU Music Cognition Lab and eventually found herself as the Executive Director of SongwritingWith:Soldiers (SW:S).
SW:S, founded in 2012, uses collaborative songwriting to help veterans and their families tell their stories and build connections. The retreats are held at various locations across the country and have been shown to reduce PTSD by 35% and depressive symptoms by 25%, according to Harvard studies.
Sharpe’s role as Executive Director is hands-on, involving meeting with donors, board members, leading meditations at retreats, and more. She emphasizes the importance of music in helping veterans heal from the challenges they face after leaving the military, such as a loss of community and purpose.
SW:S works with a talented group of songwriters, including Marshall Altman, Mary Gauthier, and Darrell Scott, who are paired with veterans based on connections observed during the retreat. The program has seen success in bringing together veterans and musicians to create meaningful and healing music. Sharpe’s dedication to using music as a tool for healing and connection has made a significant impact on veterans and their families across the country.
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