SE Valley Times

At 30, Jason Phillips was on the verge of completing his bachelor's degree in piano performance but felt stagnant. He taught at a conservatory in Pasadena and studied under UCLA's Ian Kraus. However, something seemed missing from his life.

"I just wasn’t moving forward," said Phillips, now a Mesa resident and music director at Mountain View Lutheran Church in Phoenix. Seeking purpose, he joined the Army, inspired by his grandfather's World War II service.

Phillips' military journey began unexpectedly on September 11, 2001. As an Army journalist and photographer with the 720th Military Police Battalion and 89th Military Police Brigade, he documented soldiers' missions in Iraq from March 2003 to December 2004. His experiences included witnessing traumatic events like rocket attacks that left lasting psychological scars.

Despite these challenges, Phillips returned for a second deployment due to camaraderie among soldiers. However, he soon realized he was experiencing PTSD symptoms, such as nightmares and insomnia exacerbated by loud noises. After being advised against another deployment, Phillips was honorably discharged in July 2006.

Transitioning to civilian life proved difficult for Phillips and his family. Living near Disneyland's nightly fireworks only heightened his distress. Yet, with support from his wife Josephina, who urged him to seek help, Phillips eventually entered a Veterans Administration mental health program in 2015.

In pursuit of healing through music, Phillips enrolled in George Mason University's PhD program before transferring to Arizona State University (ASU) in 2021. There he composed "A Soldier’s Symphony," reflecting his war experiences and advocating for awareness of veterans' psychological struggles.

The ASU Philharmonia plans to perform this piece during a concert at ASU Gammage in fall 2025. Julie Desbordes, the Philharmonia’s music director at ASU since 2019, described it as inspirational: "(Phillips’) story is inspiring and the music itself is also inspiring."

Melita Belgrave of ASU’s Herberger Institute is exploring an event around "A Soldier’s Symphony" for next year’s Salute to Service with Pat Tillman Veterans Center's collaboration.

Shawn Banzhaf of the Tillman Center praised Phillips’ contribution: “It shows other veterans that there are all sorts of methods to find healing in the arts.”

Josephina expressed pride: “I’m extremely proud of Jason because he has certainly worked hard to do this.” She anticipates more symphonies will follow.