Veteran, Trumpeter Tell Story of Recovering From War Trauma
When Staff Sgt. Jaymes Poling returned from combat in Afghanistan for the last time in December 2013, he wasn’t overly concerned about his transition back to civilian life.
But that changed one night while at his father’s house in Cleveland.
“I was walking around my dad’s house and a helicopter flew over,” recalled Poling who served for years, including three tours with the 82nd Airborne Division. “I had a physical reaction to that. I kind of found myself in this full-blown adrenaline rush but I was just standing on the street and it was around midnight. I was obviously worried about it afterward. How can I get control of this? Is this going to be my new norm? Where do I go from here?”
That’s not an unusual occurrence for veterans but talking about it is. For many, seeking and finding help is an even bigger hurdle.
About two years ago, Poling was introduced to Cleveland area jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, who was putting together an album at the time. The producer suggested that Farinacci include the piece “Soldier’s Things” by Tom Waits on the album. Since he had no connection to the military, Farinacci wanted to speak to veterans to better understand their plight and draw inspiration from their stories before he recorded.
That is where he met Poling and they found a connection. It gave Poling the impetus to start writing about his experiences from enlistment at 17 years old to deployment to his struggle with the life-altering memories of war when returning to civilian life at 26. Farinacci then began writing music to go with his stories.
Since September 2017, they have collaborated on a show called “Modern Warrior Live,” where Poling serves as narrator of his stories.
He is accompanied by Farinacci’s score that is a blend of the blues, R&B, jazz and gospel. Farinacci’s trumpet is enhanced by a full rhythm section, percussion and several vocalists. The show also consists of multimedia images.
On Wednesday, Oct. 24, the pair bring their powerful production to the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center in partnership with the Mental Health Association (MHA) of Westchester.
Farinacci said they wanted to convey the critically important message of veterans’ struggles to a wide cross-section of the public and destigmatize the personal and emotional problems. Since last year, they have given more than 30 performances to audiences across the United States and that schedule will get busier.
“Our goal with this project is to reach such a wide span of different people within communities, diverse communities, so it’s great to perform this at theaters and ballrooms and conferences and school and all different kinds of settings,” Farinacci said.
Poling said after his return he enrolled in Cuyahoga Community College to study finance with his sights set on a business career but needed to address his fears. Veterans may have a special bond with his story but anyone who has faced trauma or mental illness or knows someone who has will easily relate.
“During the whole collaboration process, we were thinking how can we group this in the whole human experience and basic human emotions to somebody who’s never been (at war),” Poling said. “One might not understand this situation or might not be able to relate to a soldier specifically, but they know how loss feels, what fear is.”
MHA Westchester CEO Charlotte Ostman said she saw “Modern Warrior Live” while attending the National Behavioral Health Conference in Washington last spring and was so moved that she wanted them to perform in Westchester. About 31 percent of veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, she said.
“Not only is it a beautiful performance and a wonderfully entertaining group, it’s very moving, it’s something whether you have ties to the military or not, you can appreciate and it certainly aligns with our mission of providing trauma-infused care and serving people trying to recover from trauma,” she said.
There’s a pre-performance reception, which includes food and drink, at 6 p.m. The show is at 7:30 p.m. A talkback and Q&A will follow the performance. Tickets are $150 each. Discounted tickets of $50 are available to veterans and there are free donor tickets for struggling veterans.
For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.mhawestchester.org or contact Connie Moustakas at 914-265-7511 or e-mail development@mhawestchester.org.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/