Songwriting Camp for Veterans in Colorado Springs next month

Darden Smith

​Last July, Austin-based singer-songwriter Darden Smith gathered a team of other professional musicians to lead a songwriting retreat for nine servicemen and women. Songs written during the retreat were performed at the Faces of Freedom concert on September 11 at the World Arena in Colorado Springs. As a follow-up to that first retreat, Smith and other Nashville and Austin songwriters are heading up the second Songwriting Camp for Veterans, which is a a component of transition programs designed for military members and their families, from Thursday, January 19 to Monday, January 23 in Colorado Springs.

The non-profit organization LifeQuest Military Transitions, which is based in Colorado Springs, is handling all the costs for veterans, including travel, accommodations and music camp activities.

While songs from the first retreat are available on iTunes, a full album containing songs from the January camp is in the planning stages, and proceeds from the recordings benefit the veterans and help fund LifeQuest's programs.