Letters – A Soldier Songs Concert April 28 at Idaho State University to raise funds for veterans’ music program

Letters – A Soldier Songs Concert April 28 at Idaho State University will feature the bands and musicians Hillbilly Healers, Miss Emily, Dustin Welch and Garry Tullio and will raise funds for a music program for veterans.

The concert will be at 7 p.m. in the Jensen Grand Concert Hall in the ISU Stephens Performing Arts Center. The concert will feature excerpts of letters from military service members being read, then songs will be performed that were inspired by the letters.

"These are well known local and national musicians who are performing this concert to raise money for the Soldier Songs program, which benefits veterans locally and nationally," said Shawn Kelsch, financial technician for the ISU Veterans' Sanctuary, and one of the event's organizers. "All proceeds will go to the program."

Kelsch said that Soldier Songs provides free instruments and music lessons for veterans of all musical abilities.

"They're finding that learning and playing music is a good outlet for veterans for them to just enjoy themselves and for some of them to deal with more serious issues such as PTSD and traumatic disorders," Kelsch. "We already have about 10 veterans in the Pocatello area participating in the program and we'd like to offer it to more."

According to the Soldier Songs website, www.soldiersongs.org, this non-profit group "exists to serve our nation's military heroes with free music lessons, instruments when necessary, and a means of creative expression." More information on the program is available at the website.

Tickets are $15 each or $25 for two. They can be purchased at the Stephens Center Box Office or by calling 208-282-3595 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, online at www.isu.edu/stephens/tickets or at Vickers Stores in Idaho Falls and Pocatello. The Box Office also opens one hour before shows.

The Hillbilly Healers, based in Grand Junction, Colo., is comprised of Tony Rosario on guitar and vocals, Rob Labig on percussion and Mark Ramsey on bass and vocals.

Soldier Songs is a non-profit foundation, which operates under the administrative umbrella of the Use Your Gift Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit foundation.

For more information, contact Kelsch at 208-282-4245.

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