LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Scott Wells is strumming his guitar. His eyes are sharply focused on his finger placement.

He’s been learning how to play the guitar off and on for about a year, but is ready to go a step further. 

“I want to work on chords and then maybe pick up a little at home, and maybe write a song or something here or there,” Wells explained. He served in the Navy from 2008 until 2012. 

The Kentucky native says he comes to the Monday night guitar sessions to release some of the energy he was used to exerting in the military. 

“I don’t sit well, honestly. I’m kind of fidgety. So this kind of helps me chill, relax, play guitar, and that’s a lot when you’re used to moving around a whole lot,” he shared

The Veteran’s Club started the group in August. The no-cost program aims to give the veterans a space to be present.

“It gives them an opportunity to get a beautiful distraction, to write music, to produce music. You can’t think of anything else. I don’t know if you’ve tried, anyone’s tried guitar, I’ve played a little bit and I can’t think of anything but guitar,” Jeremy Harrell, the Veteran’s Club founder, says. 

Harrell says the program is aiming to help veterans connect, heal and recover — in line with the club’s overall mission.  

“It creates that separation of everything outside and everything inside and it creates the opportunity to balance that by doing something you like, something that produces joy and confidence,” Harrell says. 

Wells encourages other veterans and first-responders to take part in the activity that has helped him improve his guitar skills. 

“Absolutely, give it a shot. I mean, worse comes to worst. You don’t sound good the first day. Hopefully by next week, the next day, you have a little more of a grip on it,” Wells said. 

The Veteran’s Club hosts the program every Monday at 6 p.m. and is one of just 200 programs the club hosts a year.