ORLANDO, Fla. – A Central Florida veteran is using his self-taught piano skills to not only heal himself but help heal others who are facing their own challenges.
Rob Fessock, otherwise called Rob Fess, received his commission as a second lieutenant at Loyola College. He then became a police officer with D.C. Police in 2001.
In 2007, Fessock was called up to serve with the Maryland Army National Guard with the 58th Brigade Combat Team.
Then in 2011, Fessock was stationed in Afghanistan where he was an embedded police adviser with the Kabul City Police.
“That’s where I responded to terrorist attacks with our team, we gathered evidence, and we made sure the proper chain of custody was conducted from Afghan security forces to U.S. forces,” Fessock said. “That took a toll on me mentally. A lot of violence toward U.S. soldiers, coalition forces.”
Fessock said in the moment, the adrenaline kept him focused. But once he returned home, it was a different story.
“I have a lot of trauma from the war,” Fessock said. “A lot from the war in Afghanistan. Afghanistan in Kabul is a different kind of violence that’s unexplainable.”
Fessock said he struggled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance abuse.
He said his brother who owned a music business in New Jersey sent him an electric piano to help him find a healthy outlet for his trauma.
From there, Fessock went on to teach himself how to play piano.
“I don’t read notes,” Fessock said. “Sometimes I’m watching TV or I’m relaxing and then I have an idea in my head some type of rhythm or melody and then I start playing from the beginning and then I build from the song. So it can take me from two days, maybe three days to build from a song, I don’t read music and everything is memorized in my head.”
Fessock said sometimes, he’ll get lost in the music.
“I focus on the music and all that internal stress, it just floats away, and I play from my heart,” Fessock said. “It’s my emotional trauma and I try to release it on the piano as a healthy way.”
On days his anxiety is really back, Fessock plays his music at Nemours Children’s Hospital to help families caring for sick children.
“They bring the babies here, and they just relax,” Fessock said. “A lot of times the parents say thank you, but it’s a good feeling because I’m helping others. Not only am I helping myself by coming here, I can use my music to make people feel better which is very important.”
Fessock said his music is good for both children and veterans who are facing their own challenges.
“Music is universal,” Fessock said. “It brings everybody together. For my experience, it calms me down mentally and it helps children and helps veterans with mental health issues.”
If you would like to listen to some of Rob’s music on Spotify, click HERE.
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