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Veteran Artist Program

by BR McDonald

To foster, encourage and promote veterans in the arts. This podcast serves as your destination to learn about the artists, leaders and organizations making a difference in the veteran artist community. After receiving a vocal performance degree, BR decided to enlist in the Army after the tragedy of September 11th. BR became an Arabic linguist and served as an operator in the Joint Special Operations Command. After many combat deployments, BR set out to create the Veteran Artist Program, a space for veterans in the arts. Now after 5 successful years, BR will tell the stories of the talented veterans and artists who are transforming the creative arts community.

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Episodes

  1. 042: Rediscovering the passion for your gift - Jessie Schwartz

    Born in Robinsdale, Minnesota , Jessie recently retired from the U.S. Army, and has come back to his lifelong passion of art. He is a painter, sculptor, poet, and a multiple award-winning producer/director/writer (winning both a Telly at the national level and two Addy's, locally). In the last…

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  2. 041: Being thankful for the opportunities that didn't go as planned - Dwayne Lester

    My art has been a journey of self-discovery and self-expression as a man who celebrates the African American experience and our achievements in sports and music history. It is the process by which I choose to explore my past and future.

  3. 040: Recognizing that art is an option - Pamela Corwin

    I was a sergeant in the South Carolina Army National Guard for 6 years. I did a little bit of everything but towards the last 2 years, I worked in the R3SP Program (suicide prevention). I currently work for SCDNR. I love fishing, the outdoors, and my pets.

  4. 039: Finding the intersection between aptitude and passion - Michael Caimona

    Mike Caimona is a Navy veteran and the Founder of Warrior Music Foundation, which provides free music lessons and music therapy to active duty, veterans and families. He is also the founder of 1710 Percussion, a custom drum manufacturing company.

  5. 038: Find your tribe and pursue what makes you happy - Bernardine "Bernie" Donato

    Retired after 24 years military, Bernardine "Bernie" Donato started painting 5 years ago and now teaches workshops to others in her community. "Painting has given me an outlet for my demons and taken me to calmer places. It is my space for solitude where I can tune out, unwind, and create." Aside...

  6. 037: Building a military lifestyle brand using the virtuous cycle - David Gale

    David has produced 27 films, earning more than $1 billion at the box office and numerous awards. He is recognized as an innovator where technology and media intersect. He is the son of a WWII veteran who gave him a deep appreciation for the military.

  7. 036: Getting back to her creative side - Susan Farese

    Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN, a native of New Jersey, is the owner/ president of SJF Communications, San Diego, CA. SJF Communications, originally established in 2002 in San Jose, CA, provides communications services including Marketing, Public Relations, Publicity, Social Media, Writing and Public...

  8. 035: Being fundamentally flawed is a beautiful part of being human - Warwick Young

    Warwick Young is a multi award winning writer and director. Warwick's has also worked as an actor in theatre, film and television. Warwick is an officer in the Australian Army and saw active service in Iraq in 2006. For those wondering, 10 degrees Celsius is 50 degrees Fahrenheit. :-)

  9. 034: Unpacking her experiences through Shakespeare and sonnets - Robin Ludwig

    Robin Ludwig (author, poet, and closet Shakespearean) has taught literature and writing in TX and the UK. She has served in the USAF since 2002. She's passionate about DeCruit, a veteran nonprofit that incorporates theatre, Shakespeare, and science. You will hear Robin talk a lot about DeCruit…

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  10. 033: Understanding the power of storytelling through combat - Michael Brown, Caleb Wells

    Michael Brown is a former Marine Corps Ground Intelligence Officer. Inspired by the importance of storytelling to culture, he left the military in 2012 to become a filmmaker. In 2015 he co-founded Tomahawk Pictures. Caleb Wells is an actor and producer with Tomahawk Pictures, and a USMC veteran.…

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  11. 032: Building on your successes to achieve your ultimate goal - Dario DiBattista

    Dario DiBattista is the editor of the anthology Retire the Colors: Veterans & Civilians on Iraq & Afghanistan. His work has appeared in the Washingtonian, the New York Times, theWashington Post, the Guardian, Connecticut Review, [Pank], Mic.com, and many other publications. Additionally, he's…

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  12. 031: Curating the military history she lived through - Miranda Summers Lowe

    Miranda Summers Lowe has been in the Army National Guard since 2002. She is a Modern Military History Curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Miranda has had deployments to Iraq and Djibouti. She served on the team that wrote Army's first official history of Afghanistan....

  13. 030: Getting beyond the stigma that veterans can only use art for healing - Kena Dillon

    Kena Dillon is an artist and Navy veteran from Colorado, with her BFA from the University of Cincinnati's DAAP program. Her work consists of paintings done in oil or acrylic, as well as woodworking and welding to create her abstract sculptures.

  14. 029: Exploring similarities with Australia's Veteran Artists - Mark Johnston

    Mark Johnston is the Chairman and Director of the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum. Mark graduated from RMC Duntroon into the Australian Intelligence Corps. He served in Bougainville before moving to Melbourne on discharge. Mark is a management consultant working in Defense and utilities....

  15. 028: Between college, the Marine Corps, and Grad School, this writer's creativity was put on hold - Teresa Fazio

    TERESA FAZIO was a Marine Corps communications officer from 2002-2006, deploying once to Iraq. Her writing has been published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Task and Purpose, The War Horse, Consequence, and Penthouse, and several anthologies. For more info: veteranartistprogram.org/028

  16. 027: Learn how this Marine veteran started working in Hollywood - Mike Dowling

    Mike Dowling is an author, producer, & veteran advocate. Mike worked with production teams on VA campaigns, produced digital content at We Are The Mighty, and has worked on camera in various projects (commercials, films). Mike is also the co-founder of Veterans in Film and TV, (now VME) & LA Vets...

  17. 026: Using photography to honor and thank her fellow veterans - Stacy Pearsall

    Air Force veteran Stacy L. Pearsall is an independent photographer, author, educator, military consultant, public speaker and founder of the Veterans Portrait Project. BR McDonald and Stacy Pearsall discuss both transitioning into and out of the military, life as a combat photographer in the Air...

  18. 025: Pretending You're Hemingway â€â€Å" Roy Scranton

    Roy Scranton is the author of Learning to Die in the Anthropocene: Reflections on the End of a Civilization (City Lights, 2015), and co-editor of Fire and Forget: Short Stories from the Long War (Da Capo, 2013). His short stories, poetry, essays, and journalism have appeared in Rolling Stone, the...

  19. 024: I've always had a thing for the Warrior Spirit â€â€Å" Marco Reininger

    Marco Reininger (Producer) is a scholar of violence and strategies for conflict resolution, with years of experience engaging with war as a U.S. soldier and socio-cultural researcher. In Afghanistan, Marco has observed tribal dynamics, interrogated complicated data sets, and developed intricate...

  20. 023: No Idea What We Were Doing...and It Was Better That Way â€â€Å" Rich Moore

    Rich Moore used to be in the Marines, and is now an Army Clinical Psychologist. Rich was a founding board member for VAP and also a co-founder of The 6th Branch, an organization near and dear to my heart from my time in Baltimore.

  21. 022: Drunken Paintbrush Technique - Shawn Ganther

    Shawn Ganther is a visual artist and served in the US Air Force, deploying in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Northern Watch. Shawn’s best known piece, “The Thinker” was selected for the VAP Pentagon Exhibit and his artwork will be unveiled…

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  22. 021: More Than an Accessory -Natalie Lovejoy

    Natalie Lovejoy is composer, lyricist, and bookwriter whose work has been heard at 54 Below, The Duplex, Laurie Beechman Theatre, The Flea Theatre, Greenwhich Music House, and in Nashville at the legendary Bluebird CafÃÆ'©, and she is listed in The Directory of Contemporary Musical Theatres...

  23. 020: Penthouse is All About the Articles - Matt Gallagher

    Matt Gallagher is the author of the Iraq memoir Kaboom and coeditor of, and contributor to, the short fiction collection Fire & Forget: Short Stories from the Long War. His novel Youngblood is forthcoming in 2016 from Atria/Simon & Schuster.

  24. 019: Every Marine a Rifleman, Some are Poets - Maurice Decaul

    Maurice is a former Marine, a poet, essayist, and playwright. Maurice is a graduate of Columbia University and New York University and will begin working towards his MFA in play writing at Brown University in 2015.

  25. 018: Deploying In Mom's Footsteps, A Mutual Healing Process - Lauren Halloran

    Lauren Kay Halloran is an Afghanistan veteran and former military public affairs officer. Her forthcoming memoir chronicles her coming-of-age against the backdrop of war, through her mother’s career as an Army nurse and her own service in Operation Enduring Freedom.

  26. 017: Love My Rifle More Than You - Kayla Williams

    Kayla Williams is the author of Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army and Plenty of Time When We Get Home: Love and Recovery in the Aftermath of War, memoirs about her experiences during and after military service.

  27. 016: Harvard, Marines & Comedy - James Connolly

    James Connolly has appeared on Comedy Central, HBO, VH1, Comics Unleashed, hosted “Live From Here” on XM Radio and recently recorded a “Blue Collar Radio Comedy Concert”. He is also one of the most played comedians on the Sirius XM Comedy...

  28. 015: Civic Empathy Through Theater - Alex Mallory

    Alex Mallory is a theatrical director and producer in New York. She recently directed "Dijla Wal Furat" by Marine Veteran Maurice Decaul, and her production of Takeo Rivera’s "Goliath" has been performed for veterans and civilians across the country. Alex is a VAP Senior Producer...

  29. 014: Nirvana, Soundgarden & Army Special Operations - Jason Everman

    Jason Everman is a musician who played with Nirvana and Soundgarden only to end up in an elite Special operations unit. Jason is a combat veteran, and recent graduate of Columbia University, earning a degree in philosophy. I love this interview because it shows just how diverse and talented...

  30. 013: GUEST HOST Jeremy Paris w/ Dave Bray & Madison Rising - "America's Most Patriotic Rock Band"

    Madison Rising strives to create music with meaning; songs that are about something: our military, sacrifice, freedom, liberty, gratitude, and living the American dream. Lead Singer Dave Bray was a Recruit Chief Petty Officer in basic training, a Master at Arms in A-school, and was awarded the...

  31. 012: National Endowment for the Arts Senior Innovation Advisor - Bill O'Brien

    Bill O’Brien joined the National Endowment for the Arts in 2006 as Director of Theater. Since then, he has served as a Deputy Chairman of Grants and Awards and currently serves as the Senior Innovation Advisor to the Chairman. Bill has acted on film, television, and on stage in…

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  32. 011: Special Forces Cultural Support Team & Art Therapist - Maria Sam Moeller

    Maria Sam Moeller served on a Cultural Support Team that was recently highlighted in the book “Ashley’s War”. Sam currently lives in Virginia Beach, VA, pursing her BFA in drawing and design. Sam and I talk about what it’s like to go...

  33. 010: Author, Singer and Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot - Shannon Huffman Polson

    Shannon Huffman Polson is the author of North of Hope; A Daughter’s Arctic Journey. She served for eight years in the U.S. Army as an attack aviation officer and was one of the first women to fly the Apache attack helicopter. I found out in this interview that Shannon is also a...

  34. 009: A Marine Ballet Dancer - Roman Baca

    Roman Baca is a Marine Iraq War Veteran and the Artistic Director of Exit12 Dance Company in NYC and the Artistic Director and General Manager of Ballet Theatre Company in CT. I’ve worked with Roman many times over the last 4 years and I’m excited to share his...

  35. 008: The Daily Show Veteran Immersion Program - Elise Terrell and Camille Hebert

    I had the amazing opportunity in 2013 to be part of the 1st Veteran Immersion Program at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Elise Terrell and Camille Hebert are producers at The Daily Show, ran the program and have now worked with 70 veterans looking to transition into TV, Film and Media. Jon...

  36. 007: Catharsis and Creativity - Stephan Wolfert

    Stephan Wolfert was one of the first people I called when I founded VAP and has continued to be a friend and mentor. Stefan served as a medic and infantry officer in the US Army and is currently the Head of Outreach at Bedlam Theatre in NYC and the creator of DE-CRUIT: a program to reintegrate...

  37. 006: Tired of Being Silenced - Sandra Lee

    Sandra Lee earned her B.A. in International Relations with a minor in Voice from Portland State University and served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army for 8 years completing a tour of duty to Baghdad, Iraq. Sandra is a seasoned VAP perfomer and is making her off-Broadway debut in Comfort…

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  38. 005: Entrepreneur On Fire - John Lee Dumas

    John Lee Dumas is the Founder and Host of EntrepreneurOnFire, an award winning Podcast revealing the journey of today's most inspiring Entrepreneurs 7-days a week. JLD was an officer in the Army and deployed to Iraq where he wrote he wrote his novel The Ancient, which he just released via podcast.

  39. 004: Design Thinking in the Military - Karen Courington

    Karen Courington is a visual artist and currently working as a technology consultant in the Bay Area. She served as a senior adviser to Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA). Karen is a Major in the US Air Force Reserve, was an active duty C-17 pilot, and is a graduate of both Georgetown University and The...

  40. 002: Do Push Ups, Sit Down and Write - Brian Castner

    Brian Castner is a non-fiction writer and former Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer. He is the author of "The Long Walk", an Amazon Best Book of 2012. The opera adaptation of “The Long Walk” will premiere at Opera Saratoga in July.

  41. 001: Poor Jud is Dead - Paul Mooney

    Paul Mooney is a Marine, a New Yorker, a writer and a filmmaker. Paul was in film school in Boston when he decided he wanted to serve and became an artillery officer in the Marine Corps. Paul is a now a veteran living in New York City and just premiered a new TV show called Vetted, among other...

  42. 003: Dancing and the British Military - Rosie Kay

    Rosie Kay is a dancer, choreographer & director. Rosie joins us from the UK and will introduce us to her piece 5 Soldiers â€â€Å" The Body is the Frontline, currently touring with the group she formed, The Rosie Kay Dance Company. Rosie is an Artist in Residence at the University of...

  43. 000: Introduction to VAP Podcast w/ BR McDonald

    BR McDonald introduces the VAP Podcast with segments from the first 5 episodes. He also talks about the success of the Veteran Artist Program and how this podcast came to life. Learn how BR grew up in Taiwan as a missionary kid, performed his whole life, earned a music degree and then enlisted in...

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TOPICS IN THIS SHOW

arts advocacy creative healing leadership stories military service nonprofit arts post-service transition veteran artists

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

To foster, encourage and promote veterans in the arts. This podcast serves as your destination to learn about the artists, leaders and organizations making a difference in the veteran artist community. After receiving a vocal performance degree, BR decided to enlist in the Army after the tragedy of September 11th. BR became an Arabic linguist and served as an operator in the Joint Special Operations Command. After many combat deployments, BR set out to create the Veteran Artist Program, a space for veterans in the arts. Now after 5 successful years, BR will tell the stories of the talented veterans and artists who are transforming the creative arts community.

HOSTED BY

BR McDonald

Produced by Veteran Artist Program

CATEGORIES

arts government

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Veteran Artist Program have?

Veteran Artist Program currently has 43 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Veteran Artist Program about?

To foster, encourage and promote veterans in the arts. This podcast serves as your destination to learn about the artists, leaders and organizations making a difference in the veteran artist community. After receiving a vocal performance degree, BR decided to enlist in the Army after the tragedy of...

How often does Veteran Artist Program release new episodes?

Veteran Artist Program has 43 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Veteran Artist Program?

You can listen to Veteran Artist Program on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Veteran Artist Program?

Veteran Artist Program is created and hosted by BR McDonald.
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