11.13 | Mike Byer

With Veterans Day falling over the weekend, we were fortunate to chat with Mike Byer, executive director at Operation Song, to discuss how the organization empowers veterans to tell their story through the process of songwriting.

Operation Song is a pretty unique nonprofit organization in that it offers both therapeutic benefits and industry resources to songwriters who have a story to tell. Would you mind giving a quick overview of the program?

The mission of Operation Song is to empower veterans, active-duty military, and their families, to tell their stories through the process of songwriting. The concept came from Nashville songwriter, Bob Regan. Bob had performed for the troops in the early 2000’s, and after talking with the Soldiers after the shows, Bob realized they have some incredible stories that need to be told. So, in 2012, Bob started Operation Song at the Alvin C. York VA in Murfreesboro, TN. Since 2012, we have written over 1500 songs with veterans from WWII to present day Iraq & Afghanistan, including their families. 

In terms of timeframe and logistics, how does the process typically work with each veteran Operation Song works with?

That all depends on what type of program they participate in. We offer three types: Retreats, Group Programs, or Virtual Songwriting Sessions. Retreats are normally conducted with a partner organization that takes place in one day. We start the morning by pairing veterans and songwriters, provide them a place to craft the story into a song, and then have a performance of those songs at the end of the day. Group Programs are conducted through the VA or our Alumni Group. Veterans attending the VA are referred to the program (usually a group of 5-6 veterans), and we’ll assign a songwriter to write with the group weekly, for 6-8 weeks. Virtual Songwriting Sessions can be done anytime. These usually come about when a veteran who cannot attend a retreat or program, or is not located in the Nashville area, reaches out through our website. We pair them up with a songwriter and they write the song using zoom, FaceTime, or just a phone call. This process usually takes a week for the song to be completed, and is based on the veteran and songwriters schedule. 

How do the volunteer songwriters typically get involved? Do they generally have military backgrounds themselves?

Most of our songwriters come through referrals from our current songwriters. No military background is required, in fact, we prefer they don’t. Not knowing anything about the military enables the songwriter to ask “stupid” questions, which causes the veteran to give a broader explanation, leading to a more detailed writing experience and better song.

Once they've written a song, what happens? How do the publishing splits work and are the writers free to record and monetize the composition?

Once the song is written, the songwriter will provide a work tape, or in some cases a demo of the song. Each participant receives their song and is allowed to share it openly. The Veterans who go through our program are considered songwriters, and are given a 50% share, with the pro songwriter, in the creation of their song. We do allow songwriters to monetize and ensure that veterans who don’t have a publisher are taken care of under Operation Song Music Publishing ASCAP. 

Does Operation Song have anything special planned for this year's Veterans Day?

Operation Song had quite an eventful Veterans Day. We were invited by the President and First Lady, to attend a breakfast at the White House. We sent our founder Bob Regan who also attended the remembrance ceremony at Arlington Cemetery. This was an incredible honor, recognizing the hard work Operation Song has done over the past 11 years.  We also performed at the Country Music Hall of Fame, which was free to veterans, and held a fundraising show for our Alumni program in Mt. Juliet, TN.

What do you hope Operation Song looks like in 5 years?

Our goal is to establish Operation Song as a nationally recognized nonprofit, with the ability to reach veterans whoever they live. We also plan to include first responders into our mission statement, and even reach active-duty military stationed overseas.

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If you’re interested, send us your resume here and we’ll pass it on

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