On June 15th Operation Encore arrived at Lava Room Recording to finish up recording for their 2nd full length release. Songwriting members of Operation Encore traveled from a number of different states to participate in this year’s project. Some of the members met for the first time in the studio in the 4 days that they were here recording. Although the entire group just met in Cleveland for the first time, they all have a common thread that makes unfamiliar family in minutes.
Operation Encore is a music collaboration of singer songwriters and musicians from across the military and veteran communities. Founded in 2014 by three air force veterans they collected music submissions from veteran artists around the country and founded the project through a successful crowd funding campaign. Their first compilation album has 16 original songs written by veterans and people close to the service men such as spouses and family. All studio instrumentalists on the recordings are also veterans.
Because of the many writers on the album the songs range in genre from Americana to rock to pop, but all artists share the common experience of service. An engineer on the project said that they couldn’t believe how people who just met could meld so well immediately after just meeting one another. But the energy and level of camaraderie aren’t even the most culminating part about this group of seasoned musicians.
Operation Encore has a mission to help veterans promote their original music, raise awareness of veteran issues, encourage collaboration among veteran artists, and to produce great independent music inspired by service. They have also paired with many veteran service organizations including Veteran Artist Program, Student Veterans or America, the American Legion, Military Officer Association of America, Dog Tag Bakery, Project Healing Waters, and Team RWB. All the performances that the musicians on the albums play their music at support the organizations that Operation Encore supports. 
With the 4 days of recording spent at the Lava Room, Operation Encore: Volume 2 is well under production and to be released in concert Veterans Day Weekend (November 12, 2016) in Phoenix. The Group is also planning a block party at a local bar in Litchfield Park Arizona called ”Old Pueblo”.
It’s great to see people support the 1% of Americans that risk their lives to serve our country. If you’d like to support Operation Encore: A Veteran Music Project, you can follow them on FaceBook .