--- title: "SongwritingWith:Soldiers’ new album was created on retreats for veterans & families" date: "2026-11-10" modified: "2026-11-10" authors: - name: "Shannon Corbeil" job_title: "Contributor, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/scorbeil.md" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/entertainment/songwritingwithsoldiers-new-album-was-created-on-retreats-for-veterans-families/" categories: - "Entertainment" - "History" - "Music" - "War History" tags: - "Entertainment" - "Veterans" --- # SongwritingWith:Soldiers’ new album was created on retreats for veterans & families ![SongwritingWith-Soldiers strumming]() *(From left to right) John Cameron III and Maia Sharp write “Strumming Hand” (Courtesy of Rick Loomis)* SongwritingWith:Soldiers (SW:S) is a program that holds weekend retreats across the United States for veterans and their families where they can share their experiences and co-create sounds with professional songwriters. On Nov. 6, 2026, they will release “[The Power of Being Heard](),” a 16-song project that amplifies 25 veterans’ voices through music written and performed alongside hit songwriters like Erin Enderlin, Radney Foster, Will Kimbrough, Trent Willmon, Marshall Altman, and many more. **Also Read:** "What this program is doing for veterans is unlike anything I have seen or experienced before," U.S. Army veteran Lisa Geartz told me. “It was life changing. I can't explain how, but it is. I have seen it in others and in myself.” Geartz was one of the veterans in this album’s cohort, paired with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and producer Terry Radigan, who has spent the past decade collaborating with SW:S, helping vets and their families turn their experiences into songs. She has said the program includes some of the most meaningful work she has done and serves as a constant reminder of why music matters in the first place. "Every songwriting session is different,” Radigan told me when I asked what it’s like working with veterans. “But the common thread is always listening to the person you’re sitting across from. And I’ve found that the veterans I’ve had the privilege of working with are always so generous with their stories and so trusting of the process." ![SongwritingWith-Soldiers strumming]() *Terry Radigan and Lisa Geartz writing their song “Army of One.” (Courtesy of Bryan Lasky)* “While I can't speak to what it's like to serve in the military, I've learned a great deal from the veterans I've had the honor of working with,” said Radigan. “One thing that stands out is that their sense of service doesn't end when they take off the uniform. It's in the way they show up for one another, the way they look out for each other, and the way they continue to give of themselves." Since 2012, SW:S has connected with more than 7,000 veterans and military families, creating a safe and inspiring environment to share their experiences and co-create songs grounded in lived experience alongside professional songwriters. These collaborations take place in a trusted, evidence-informed retreat program. The process invites participants to express what often goes unsaid—through a creative partnership that honors their words and experiences. When I asked Geartz what she learned from her partnership with Radigan, she told me, “that it is okay to tell someone your story.” Something I’ve learned from personal experiences in creative programs with other veterans is that there is a language and a set of shared experiences that makes it easier to open up. Geartz felt something similar on her retreat. “We kind of all have common ground with just being veterans, but you know it was likely just as hard for them to be there as it was to convince myself to go, and we were there to support each other as well." And music itself is a powerful artform. “It’s a universal language,” reflected Radigan. “It has the power to connect people in ways that words alone sometimes can't. A song can bring us back to a moment in our lives, remind us of someone we love, or simply make us feel less alone. And I think that's what makes music so powerful. No matter how different our lives or experiences may be, music has a way of reminding us of all that we share." SongwritingWith:Soldiers believes it's not just creating songs, but [a deeper understanding of the veteran experience](). The new music program, made possible by the generosity of The Johnson Family Fund, selects and produces music from the retreat field recording catalogue to release on major streaming platforms with the intention of bridging the military-civilian divide. They hope to raise civilian awareness of the challenges faced by the military community while also empowering veterans and helping them tell their stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psU2zGz-9FM “[The Man You Used To Know]()” was written by U.S. Air Force veteran Bruce Anderson, his wife of thirty-seven years Lesley Anderson, and songwriter and producer Trent Willmon. In the official press release for the lyric video, Bruce revealed that the song is "about losing part of yourself and then trying to gain that back somehow... and it’s never too late to try to get back to a good, healthy place.” Lesley shared, “For a spouse, you have to grieve the person you used to know because when he came back…I didn’t know that guy. I didn’t even like that guy. But I knew the man I married was still there.” The songs themselves have a true Americana-vibe, from country to traditional folk-inspired tracks. They feel like a road trip but when you look closely at the lyrics, you can see how hard some of them hit. It’s clear the vets and their families dug deep, which is exactly what the best art is there for. You can learn more about SongwritingWith:Soldiers and their retreats [on their webpage]() and you can [pre-order or pre-save the new album]() on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and more. **The tracklist for “The Power of Being Heard:”** 1. “[At Ease]()” - Will Kimbrough (Chaddrick Allen, USMC; Rhonda Chavez, USAF; Sally Griffiths, USMC; Justin Lilley, USA; Benjamin Liotta, USN; Carlos Gomez Perez, USMC; Robert Heathe Shumate, USMC; Tristan Wimmer, USMC) 2. “[The Man You Used To Know]()” - Trent Willmon (Bruce Anderson, USAF) 3. “Footprints in my Mind” - Stevenson Everett (Paul Strickland, USA) 4. “[Strumming Hand]()” - Maia Sharp (James Cameron (John), USMC) 5. “[The One They Call]()” - Radney Foster and Kelly Willis (Matthew Chapman, USA) 6. “[Hey Brother]()” - Mark Nesler (Tristan Wimmer, USMC) 7. “He Ain’t Through With Me Yet” - JD Martin (David Brower, USN) 8. “Something Ain’t Right” - Gary Burr (Thomas Griswold, USA) 9. “Grace” - Dylan Altman (Alex Fox, USAF) 10. “Army of One (Missing)” - Terry Radigan (Lisa Geartz, USA) 11. “[Let Go of the Pain]()” - Danny Myrick Daniel Cummings, USA) 12. “[Daddy’s Son]()” - Jay Clementi ft. Brody Clementi (Marcin Budnik, USA; John “PK” Kelley, USA) 13. “Parents & Soldiers” - Georgia Middleman (Scott Cotner, USA) 14. “[When You Look At Me]()” - Erin Enderlin (Brent Fogleman, USA; Tanja Struyck-Fogleman, Royal Netherlands Army) 15. “Funeral Detail” - Gary Nicholson (Albert Merrifield, USA) **Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty** **•** **•** **•** ## Author Shannon Corbeil has worked for We Are The Mighty as a digital video producer, writer, and host, as well as a staff writer covering military history, trivia, and valor. Shannon is a fierce veteran advocate, covering the achievements of members of the military community and volunteering in multiple veteran non-profit organizations, including Pin-Ups for Vets and Warriors for Peace Theatre. Her undergraduate degree is in Humanities and Philosophy and her Masters is in Strategic Intelligence. A screenwriter and actor recently seen on SEAL TEAM and THE ROOKIE, Shannon writes about exciting projects in the entertainment industry. She is an alum of the Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Writing Project, a Finalist in the Disney TV Writing Fellowship, an inaugural fellow for the STARZ/VME #TakeTheLead Program, and has performed at the Geffen Playhouse and Kennedy Center as a writer, dancer, singer, and actor. As a U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer, Shannon supported the 25th Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, South Korea, and conducted Cyber Threat Analysis at the National Security Agency. Her work has been seen in Business Insider, Task & Purpose, Military.com, and various other publications. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() ## More - [‘I’ll always regret it if I don’t’: Army veteran trades filmmaking for music in his 40s]() - [Jessie James Decker talks military family, songwriting, and patriotism]() - [Army vet releases new music single inspired by old marching cadences]() - [This Marine turned from scout sniper to singer songwriter]() - [Air Force veteran and Tejano rapper, ZEUS, to release new album]() - [Army veteran Craig Morgan releases new album, includes a song he wrote with 2 Army Rangers before deployment]() - [Darius Rucker receives Veterans Voice Award at the 52nd American Music Awards]() - [Navy vet and hip hop artist B. Taylor has a new music video with a message of unity and love]()