{"id":921212,"date":"2026-07-20T10:14:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/20\/exclusive-veterans-turn-war-stories-into-music-at-trump-kennedy-center-in-powerful-patriotic-showcase\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T10:14:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:14:12","slug":"exclusive-veterans-turn-war-stories-into-music-at-trump-kennedy-center-in-powerful-patriotic-showcase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/20\/exclusive-veterans-turn-war-stories-into-music-at-trump-kennedy-center-in-powerful-patriotic-showcase\/","title":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE: Veterans turn war stories into music at Trump Kennedy Center in powerful patriotic showcase"},"content":{"rendered":"

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NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Trump Kennedy Center<\/a> hosted a packed house Wednesday night as veterans and active-duty service members transformed war stories into music during an emotional patriotic showcase just days after Memorial Day.<\/p>\n

“These are veteran independent artists, and it was an honor to have them perform for a full house<\/a> at the Trump Kennedy Center,” Roma Daravi, vice president of communications for the Trump Kennedy Center, told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n

“Supporting our veterans is especially<\/a> important coming off the Memorial Day weekend as we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom,” Daravi added.<\/p>\n

The performance, titled “From Military to Music,” featured Brooks Herring, Brennan Clements, Jackson Perkins and Torv, veterans and active-duty musicians performing songs inspired by combat, trauma and healing during a showcase at the Trump Kennedy Center\u2019s Millennium Stage.<\/p>\n

KID ROCK EMBRACES AMERICAN PRIDE, BREAKS DOWN WHY PERFORMING FOR VETERANS IS ‘MOST REWARDING’ WORK HE’S DONE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Veteran musicians perform during the “From Military to Music” showcase at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., following Memorial Day weekend.<\/span> (Official Trump Kennedy Center Photo)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“Art remains essential to the fabric of our nation, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Daravi said. “We are proud to honor its role in our 250-year history<\/a> through veteran shows here at America\u2019s cultural center.”<\/p>\n

Audience members packed the venue for the intimate performance, which blended live music with personal reflections on military<\/a> service, loss, resilience and recovery.<\/p>\n

CreatiVets, the nonprofit behind the event, works with veterans struggling with trauma and the difficult transition to civilian life by pairing them with professional songwriters and artists.<\/p>\n

TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER’S BOARD VOTES UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE $257M RENOVATIONS AND TWO-YEAR CLOSURE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Audience members fill the Millennium Stage during the “From Military to Music” veterans showcase at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.<\/span> (Official Trump Kennedy Center Photo)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The showcase comes during a major transition period for the Trump Kennedy Center as leadership prepares to temporarily shutter the iconic arts institution for a sweeping $257 million renovation project<\/a> tied to broader restoration efforts ahead of America\u2019s 250th birthday celebration.<\/p>\n

The Trump Kennedy Center\u2019s board voted unanimously earlier this year to approve the renovation project and a planned two-year closure beginning after July<\/a> 4.<\/p>\n

Officials have described the overhaul as a long-overdue restoration effort aimed at addressing decades of deferred maintenance, including deteriorating infrastructure, water damage, failing HVAC systems and structural concerns throughout the building.<\/p>\n

TRUMP LAUNCHES MASSIVE \u2018FREEDOM 250\u2019 PUSH TO IGNITE AMERICA\u2019S 250TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Veteran and active-duty musicians perform during the “From Military to Music” showcase hosted by CreatiVets at the Trump Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.<\/span> (Official Trump Kennedy Center Photo)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Fox News Digital previously obtained images and internal materials showing rusted electrical systems, cracked concrete<\/a> with exposed steel supports and extensive water infiltration beneath the facility.<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump<\/a> has framed the project as part of a broader mission to restore the Kennedy Center to what he called the “highest level of success, beauty, and grandeur.”<\/p>\n

“Subject to board approval, I have determined that the fastest way to bring The Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of success, beauty, and grandeur, is to cease entertainment operations for an approximately two-year period of time,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post earlier this year.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The administration and Kennedy Center leadership have increasingly<\/a> emphasized patriotic programming as part of a broader effort to reshape Washington\u2019s cultural landscape ahead of the nation\u2019s semiquincentennial celebration.<\/p>\n

“From Military to Music” streamed live from the Kennedy Center\u2019s Millennium Stage in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

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Jasmine Baehr is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, legal debates surrounding life and family policy, as well as faith and culture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Music NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Trump Kennedy Center hosted a packed house Wednesday night as veterans and active-duty service members transformed war stories into music during an emotional patriotic showcase just days after Memorial Day. “These are veteran independent artists, and it was an honor to have them perform for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":921213,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[131522],"class_list":["post-921212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business-news","tag-podcast-music"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=921212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/921212\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/921213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=921212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=921212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=921212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}