COVINGTON, Ky. — Brian Martin is using music to spread awareness on mental health resources for veterans. 

What You Need To Know

  • Brian Martin wrote his song “Good Enough” hoping to bring awareness to veteran suicide

  • All the proceeds generated through downloads will go to the Headstrong Project

  • The Headstrong Project is a mental health organization providing confidential post-traumatic stress disorder treatment to veterans, service members and family members

  • According to the Suicide Prevention Resource, 22 veterans commit suicide daily in the U.S.

The Northern Kentucky-native says he wishes he could describe the feeling he gets when he plays an instrument.

“It’s something that’s right there that you can’t quite put your finger on, but it’s a whole different connection that I think a lot of people feel when they listen to music, which is always great,” he said.

Martin has played guitar for over 20 years; he says he wanted to write a song that did some good for the world. The song titled “Good Enough” is written from the perspective of a veteran contemplating life and death.

“It discusses something that I think a lot of us are aware of, and we’re also trying to destigmatize that idea of PTSD and any sort of mental issues,” Martin said.

While Martin did not serve himself, he comes from a long line of veterans, with his father serving in the Air Force, his mother’s father serving in the Pacific during World War II, and his great uncle, who received a Purple Heart.

He said his great uncle was honored with the award at 19 after he was killed by a sniper on the island of Saipan.

Martin wrote the song with two objectives in mind. The first is to de-stigmatize the problem of post-traumatic stress disorder and veteran suicide, hoping to foster more conversations and working toward solutions. Fundraising for the Headstrong Project is the second objective.

Anyone can download the song via Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music or Bandcamp, and all the proceeds will go to the Headstrong Project, a mental health organization providing confidential PTSD treatment to veterans, service members and family members. Headstrong staff says Martin’s songs are reaching the hearts of many.

 

“His words and his messages connect directly to other veterans and service members that really relate to the story and help understand that it’s okay to ask for help,” said Justin Corté, the Marketing Coordinator of the Headstrong Project.

“Some vets might come out and say, you know, that was the greatest experience in my life. Some may come out and say that was the worst experience of my life. The point is to not judge. The point is to take every person as a person, hear their story and say, what can I do to help?” Martin shared.

Since 2012, Headstrong has delivered 175,000 clinical sessions to veterans across the county. 

Thanks to Brian Martin and the Headstrong Project, more people are advocating for veterans’ rights and destigmatizing mental health care.

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