Music As a Salve: How 'Guitars for Vets' Helps Soldiers Heal

All photos via Youtube One of Canada's largest volunteer-based veteran support networks started because of music. Vets Canada CEO and founder Jim Lowther said he started the non-profit charity in 2010 because playing his guitar helped him cope with severe post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. That first step started him on the path of socializing. Eventually, he would organize other veterans, connecting over 135,000 people and hundreds of volunteers, mostly ex-soldiers and RCMP. The organization gives veterans a social network and helps them find affordable housing and employment.

"Vets Canada was basically founded because of me playing the guitar," Lowther said during a phone interview from Halifax.

Naturally, two years ago he started the Guitars for Vets program to give guitars to and match guitar instructors with others suffering from PTSD and disabilities. In light of increased suicide and mental health awareness, he believed the program could give veterans some hope. Lowther served for 15 years in the Canadian Armed Forces and was deployed in Bosnia and worked aboard the HMCS Halifax as a member of the boarding party during Operation Apollo in Afghanistan. He was medically released for physical injuries because of an accident. In 2002, he was diagnosed with PTSD. Playing guitar combined with the support of his family helped him "get out of the basement."

"A lot of homeless and in-crisis veterans that we were assisting suffered with PTSD like I do. I had to come up with something. There was a lot veteran and soldier suicides. I had to figure out how to slow that down, and I knew what helped me: playing my guitar."

During his years in the military, he said he had a guitar with him, but he never thought to pick it up "while battling the demons of PTSD." He feared interacting with "normal people" and crowds. Loud noises and even bright lights were enough to cause panic. Since PTSD is not a physical injury, he said it is difficult to show others how much you are suffering, which causes feelings of isolation. One day, he picked up his instrument and had 20 minutes of relief from that anxiety. "PTSD is like an overlapping of thoughts and memories," Lowther explained, "You can't get out of your head. It's like a terrible song you can't get out of your head, but it's 100% worse. Playing guitar for those 20 minutes broke that cycle of despair." He said he's not the greatest musician, but playing makes him feel whole. "You're focusing on your fingers and trying to play the chords … You really can't think of the other stuff."

In order to put guitars in the hands of other veterans and still-serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP, Lowther began asking for used instruments. Overwhelmed by the response and donations, Vets Canada eventually partnered with Long & McQuade to help distribute guitars. Since starting the program, Vets Canada has given out over 700 instruments, according to the founder.

Right now, Guitars for Vets has a Go Fund Me page to raise $50,000 for the program. You can find the page here. Lowther said 100% of the proceeds will go to buying guitars and mailing them to veterans across the country. For more information about Vets Canada, you can go here.