December 26, 2025

Happy New Year! We made it around the sun one more time!

Join us on Zoom this weekend.

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, December 28 at 2 p.m.

We'll meet on Zoom. Bring something to share.

Here's the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82787694684?pwd=dmJWemxOckJET29mdCtJQjc3Ry8yZz09

Meeting ID: 827 8769 4684

Passcode: 939440

Last week at Artichoke:

Carl, Jason, John Michael and Ed

and Sandra Bishop!

Our stockings were filled with two hours of great songs and conversation.



Call to Action

We're a nonprofit outfit. One of our core values is that what we do is always free.

Donations, however modest, help us keep serving the veteran creative community.

Donate here

And from the folks at the SSV home office:

Hey songwriters!

Join us for a master class meet up!

Mondays

3pm PT, 4pm MT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET

Click here to join the Master Class Zoom Meeting



Coming up:

We'll on Zoom on January 4 and 11 and at Artichoke Community Music on January 18.



Save the dates!

December 17, 2025

Welcome!

Join us for some in-person inspiration on Sunday, December 21 at 2 p.m.

We'll be in the upper classroom, as usual. Bring a song or two to share! Or just listen!

Here's where:

Artichoke Community Music

2007 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97202

Map

We won't be Zooming for this event.



Last week on Zoom:


Sorry, no report received from the Muppets who attended last week's Zoom!

And from the folks at the SSV home office:

Hey songwriters!

Join us for a master class meet up!

Mondays

3pm PT, 4pm MT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET

Click here to join the Master Class Zoom Meeting



The weekly session with our partners, Warrior Beats is on pause. We'll let you know when it's back up and running.

Look for us on Zoom on December 28 and January 4, 2026. Join us!


December 10, 2025

Join us on Zoom this weekend.

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, December 14 at 2 p.m.

We'll meet on Zoom. Bring something to share.

Here's the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82787694684?pwd=dmJWemxOckJET29mdCtJQjc3Ry8yZz09

Meeting ID: 827 8769 4684

Passcode: 939440

Last week on Zoom

Participants:

John L, Mary did you know

Carl, North of beautiful

Art, Dreidel

Deb, Christmas in tne lonestar state, Christmas for mom

David M, Smiling outloud

Ed (some Christmas song I forgot) We wish you a merry christmas

Trish, (host) Quotes out of context

Fun music and figgy pudding is a real thing.



And from the folks at the SSV home office:

Hey songwriters!

Join us for a master class meet up!

Mondays

3pm PT, 4pm MT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET

Click here to join the Master Class Zoom Meeting



Coming up:

We'll be at Artichoke Community Music will be December 21 and on Zoom on December 28.



Save the dates!

December 3. 2025

Join us on Zoom this weekend.

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, December 7 at 2 p.m.

We'll meet on Zoom. Bring something to share.

Here's the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82787694684?pwd=dmJWemxOckJET29mdCtJQjc3Ry8yZz09

Meeting ID: 827 8769 4684

Passcode: 939440

Last week on Zoom

Participants:

John L, Like Elvis

Deb Lonestar Christmas, Camouflage and Christmas lights

Ed, In Flanders fields

Trish (host)

Deb and John had a new song they are working on and much of this session was dedicated to the process of editing. It was fun seeing this colaborative endevaor.

We talked about how we often dont listen to the lyrics of songs and are surprised when we actually hear the words. Yikes

And from the folks at the SSV home office:

Hey songwriters!

Join us for a master class meet up!

Mondays

3pm PT, 4pm MT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET

Click here to join the Master Class Zoom Meeting



Coming up:

We'll be on Zoom on December 14. Our next Vets Song Circle at Artichoke Community Music will be December 21

.

Save the dates!

November 28, 20025

Join us on Zoom this weekend.

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, November 30 at 2 p.m.

We'll meet on Zoom. Bring something to share.

Here's the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82787694684?pwd=dmJWemxOckJET29mdCtJQjc3Ry8yZz09

Meeting ID: 827 8769 4684

Passcode: 939440

Last week on Zoom

Participants:

Robert Miller, California stars

John L, Is that you

Deb, Fall kind of girl, 18, you still look good in blue

Trish (host) QOOC, this included dead bodies wild turkeys and a suitcase record player among other things.

It was good to see Robert M again, It's been a while. He wants to come to the in-person sessions at Artichoke.

And from the folks at the SSV home office:

Hey songwriters!

Join us for a master class meet up!

Mondays

3pm PT, 4pm MT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET

Click here to join the Master Class Zoom Meeting



The weekly session with our partners, Warrior Beats is on pause. We'll let you know when it's back up and running.



Coming up:

We'll be on Zoom on December 7 and14. Our next Vets Song Circle at Artichoke Community Music will be December 21

.

Save the dates!

November 19, 2025

Join us on Zoom this weekend.

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, November 23 at 2 p.m.

We'll meet on Zoom. Bring something to share.

Here's the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82787694684?pwd=dmJWemxOckJET29mdCtJQjc3Ry8yZz09

Meeting ID: 827 8769 4684

Passcode: 939440

Last week at Artichoke

Great time today.

Ed, Robert, Vincent, Chuck, and Trip.

Lots of music.

Here's a look at our Beginning/Intermediate Guitar class now in progress at the Walters Cultural Art Center in Hillsboro. We have ten hardworking vets in our creative community this term. Our Week 8 musicale is tomorrow, Thursday, November 20 at high noon. Join us if you're in the neighborhood!



And from the folks at the SSV home office:

Hey songwriters!

Join us for a master class meet up!

Mondays

3pm PT, 4pm MT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET

Click here to join the Master Class Zoom Meeting



The weekly session with our partners, Warrior Beats is on pause. We'll let you know when it's back up and running.



Coming up:

We'll be on Zoom on November 30 and December 14. Our next Vets Song Circle at Artichoke Community Music will be December 21

.

Save the dates!


November 12, 2025

Welcome!

Join us for some in-person inspiration on Sunday, November 16 at 2 p.m.

We'll be in the upper classroom, as usual. Bring a song or two to share! Or just listen!

Here's where:

Artichoke Community Music

2007 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97202

Map

We won't be Zooming for this event.



Last week on Zoom:

 

Participants:

David W, Damn them, Future days. He had a podcast interview on Heroes Talk Nation

Ep 21 The Roundtable Where Heroes Talk 10302025 Derek Thompson and David Welch. He shared a short clip from the interview.

Robert O, The magician, Poem by Cloud, found in the Street Roots News

Carl, Just like you

Trish (host) Something went wrong

We talked about Robert's visit to a prison to share music and written words with Veteran prisoners, there were about 150 present. Wow! Way to go Robert. We (meaning me) talked about how music theory can be useful but not nessesary to just sing and play music.

Overall, we had good music and a lively, enthusiastic conversation.

At 101, WWII veteran Irving Locker has become a songwriter

https://apnews.com/article/irving-locker-creativets-wwii-veterans-7abe5f992656d5d7fdc14a02db9d7847?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=share

Irving Locker, a World War II veteran, has become a published songwriter at 101. Just before his birthday, his song “If Freedom Was Free” was released by Big Machine Label Group and CreatiVets.

And from the folks at the SSV home office:

Hey songwriters!

Join us for a master class meet up!

Mondays

3pm PT, 4pm MT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET

Click here to join the Master Class Zoom Meeting



The weekly session with our partners, Warrior Beats is on pause. We'll let you know when it's back up and running.

Look for us on Zoom on November 23 and 30. Join us!

November 4, 2025


https://files.constantcontact.com/e3cb88cc301/0fa639d0-2ed0-44b4-a2d7-3304bb0437ad.jpg?rdr=truea=1134946034915

Join us for our Veterans' Day Fundraiser instead!

 

We'll be dark Sunday afternoon.



We'll host our monthly Veterans' Song Circle at Artichoke Community Music on Sunday, November 16 and back online on Sunday, November 23. Save the dates!

October 31, 2025

Join us on Zoom this weekend.

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, November 2 at 2 p.m.

We'll meet on Zoom. Bring something to share.

Here's the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82787694684?pwd=dmJWemxOckJET29mdCtJQjc3Ry8yZz09

Meeting ID: 827 8769 4684

Passcode: 939440

Last week on Zoom

Participants:

John L, Song bird

Deb, was driving and before she hit dead cell service, she shared her perspective on the Paul McCartney concert, a lot of young folks and kids among the sea of grey

David M, Popped in for a hot minute to let us know he was doing well after a pretty extensive med procedure.

Trish host

John and I talked about memorializing someone with a song. We talked about a bunch of stuff waiting for others to arrive and the next thing we knew, it was time to shut it down.

Also, no screenshot. People popped in and out too fast.

Here's a look at our Beginning/Intermediate Guitar class now in progress at the Walters Cultural Art Center in Hillsboro. We have ten hardworking vets in our creative community this term. Yep, that's a left-handed ukulele. If it's got strings on it, we'll learn it!



And from the folks at the SSV home office:

Hey songwriters!

Join us for a master class meet up!

Mondays

3pm PT, 4pm MT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET

Click here to join the Master Class Zoom Meeting



The weekly session with our partners, Warrior Beats is on pause. We'll let you know when it's back up and running.



Coming up:

We'll be dark on November 9, getting ready for our benefit performance at Artichoke that evening; at Artichoke Community Music for our Song Circle on November 16; and back on Zoom on November 23.

.

Save the dates!



October 21, 2025

Join us on Zoom this weekend.

Here's what will be happening on Sunday, October 26 at 2 p.m.

We'll meet on Zoom. Bring something to share.

Here's the link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82787694684?pwd=dmJWemxOckJET29mdCtJQjc3Ry8yZz09

Meeting ID: 827 8769 4684

Passcode: 939440

Last week at Artichoke:

No feedback this week.

Save the Date!

Sunday, November 9

7:00

Join us for our annual Veterans' Day fundraiser for Artichoke Community Music

Good cause, great location, superb songs!

More info coming soon!



And from the folks at the SSV home office:

Hey songwriters!

Join us for a master class meet up!

Mondays

3pm PT, 4pm MT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET

Click here to join the Master Class Zoom Meeting



The weekly session with our partners, Warrior Beats is on pause. We'll let you know when it's back up and running.



Coming up:

We'll be on Zoom November 2 and

at Artichoke Community Music on November 16.

Save the dates!