Vets In The Arts

05/22/2026

🎶 Got stories to tell? Turn them into songs this June!

Join our Songwriting Class on Fridays:
📅 June 5, 12, 19 & 26
🕕 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Whether you’re brand new or already writing music, this class is a great place to create, collaborate, and grow your songwriting skills.

Register today at vetsinthearts.org

05/22/2026

🎙️ Recording Class – 4 Week Series 🎚️
VETERANS ENCOURAGED!

Ready to learn the basics of recording, production, and mixing? Join us for this hands-on recording class designed for beginners and aspiring musicians, producers, and creators.

📍 Market Street Conservatory – Marion, IL
📅 June 5, 12, 19, & 26
⏰ 7:30–9:00 PM
👨‍🏫 Instructor: Brian Martinez / Velocity Recording Studio

💲 Veterans: $20
💲 Non-Veterans: $40

🎵 Class Topics Include:
Week 1: Signal Flow & Microphones
Week 2: DAWs & Plugins
Week 3: Recording Principles & Production
Week 4: Mixing & Final Song

Whether you’re recording music at home or exploring audio production for the first time, this class will help you build confidence and foundational recording skills in a supportive environment.

Questions about the class?
📧 Contact Brian Martinez at [email protected]

Register & learn more at 👉 vetsinthearts.org

05/21/2026

🎶 Songwriting & Beginning Guitar Class 🎸

VETERANS ENCOURAGED!

Have a story to tell? Learn how to turn your ideas into original songs while building foundational guitar skills in a welcoming, low-pressure environment.

✨ Bring your guitar — or any instrument of choice!
✨ Perfect for beginners and aspiring songwriters alike

📍 Market Street Conservatory – Marion, IL
📅 June 5, 12, 19, & 26
⏰ 6–7 PM
👩‍🏫 Instructor: Destiny Green

💲 Veterans: $20
💲 Non-Veterans: $30

Over 4 weeks, you’ll learn:
🎵 Songwriting & storytelling
🎵 Verse/chorus structure
🎵 Melody writing & style
🎵 Beginner guitar fundamentals
🎵 Confidence in creative expression

Optional opportunity to share your original song in a supportive setting!

🎤 Write your own song.
🎸 Learn beginner guitar skills.
🌟 Discover your creative voice.

Register or learn more at 👉 vetsinthearts.org

05/18/2026

🎙️ Ready to bring your music to life?

Join our Recording Class every Friday in June!
📅 June 5, 12, 19 & 26
🕢 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Learn recording basics, studio techniques, and how to capture your sound in a creative, hands-on environment.

Perfect for musicians, songwriters, and beginners interested in music production.

Register today at vetsinthearts.org

05/18/2026

🎶 Got stories to tell? Turn them into songs this June!

Join our Songwriting Class on Fridays:
📅 June 5, 12, 19 & 26
🕕 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Whether you’re brand new or already writing music, this class is a great place to create, collaborate, and grow your songwriting skills.

Register today at vetsinthearts.org

04/21/2026

TWO NEW 4 WEEK CLASSES!!
Same night and location!
Fridays in June - June 5, 12,19, 26

Songwriting and Beginning Guitar 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Recording Class 7:30pm - 9:00pm

Visit vetsinthearts.org for more information and to register!

01/18/2026

Hosted by one of our favorite local Veterans Tom Harness! It should be a great atmosphere to get on stage in front of a friendly and supportive audience!

01/05/2026

ACTING CLASS SALE!!

DON'T WORRY IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THEM ALL!
🎉New to acting? - Perfect! Try something new in 2026.
🎉Acted before? - Perfect! Refresh foundational techniques to become even better.

Veteran - $20
Non-Veteran - $40!

January (6th, 8th, 13th, 20th, 27th)
February (3rd, 10th, 12th)
⌚️All Classes 7pm-9pm @ Union Street Arts in Marion, IL

🔗Register here: https://www.vetsinthearts.org/event-details/beginner-acting-classes-2026-2026-01-06-19-00

More information is on the website: www.vetsinthearts.org

11/11/2025

Thank you Veterans for your service!

05/26/2025

04/07/2025

Just 2 months away!
Standard Issue (a new musical) is in full production with an amazing cast. Don't miss the world premiere of this fantastic show!

Tickets go on sale April 14th. Buy only from the Marion Cultural and Civic Center website or in person at 800 Tower Square Plaza in Marion, IL.
http://www.marionccc.com

TICKETS ON SALE APRIL 14TH!
Vets in the Arts and MCCC present
Standard Issue
June 6 & 7 – 7pm
June 8 – 2pm
Tickets: $15
Purchase only at http://www.marionccc.com or in person at the Marion Cultural & Civic Center

Set in a modern-era, three-year Army tour, Standard Issue is a locally written, produced, and orchestrated musical performed by Southern Illinois Veterans, and other local artists. Created specifically to support, employ, and encourage Veterans in the arts, this production highlights the distinctive bond shared by American Veterans.
Audiences will laugh, learn, and be moved as Veterans relive shared experiences through an abstract set design, dynamic lighting, and 16 original songs, all performed by a 15-piece live orchestra. Don’t miss the world premiere of this unique Broadway-style musical, right here in Southern Illinois!

Hooah!

Standard Issue Synopsis:
Charles Vanderwall, an avid note-taker, finds himself unexpectedly enlisted in the Army to fulfill the conditions of his late father’s will. Boot camp introduces him to a cast of colorful characters, providing plenty of material for his writing, yet he remains convinced that he’s better off alone in the real world. As boot camp and deployment push him beyond his physical limits, Vanderwall faces an even greater challenge, choosing to risk heartbreak for the chance at true friendship and love.