Edmonton veteran says music aids him after war
An Edmonton veteran said music and storytelling helped him find peace and reconnect with others after war.
Veteran David Maddess. Photo credit: Nora Mohamad. Photo credit: Nora Mohamad
An Edmonton veteran said music and storytelling have helped him find peace after serving in the Middle East nearly five decades ago.
David Maddess, who joined the army at 18, said music helps him process memories of war and reconnect with others. “What story you tell yourself matters,” he said. “Anything, joy, pain, suffering, happens between your ears.”
“You know what we need?,” Maddess asked, “To tell our own stories. And the stories we tell oursleves are the most important ones.”
Maddess said he was born and raised in Edmonton; however, he explained that he grew up all over the world as result of his deployment taking him to the Middle East and Germany.
He explained that his mother raised him as a single parent, which was “no small feat.”
Maddess detailed the difficulties his mother experienced and how this affected him. “She had an abusive husband. My mom is not here anymore. She left prematurely.”
Maddess says he advocates to help the underserved reach their “human potential.”
He explained that he is the director of the Canadian Club of Edmonton, which preserves Canada’s heritage, history and identity.
Maddess explained that, as a veteran and someone who’s still learning from life experiences, “I know this. I know nothing. But I know the music.”
He said he went to El Gaza in 1981 for a small gig in the Middle East peace process.
Maddess explained that music has helped him cope with difficulties throughout his life. He said he was very excited to join the symphony to live out his dream of playing music.
“I had a small gig with the Evanson Symphony Orchestra when I was the sergeant major in the artillery.”
As he reflected on the music of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Maddess mentioned that music helped him immerse himself into learning about different cultures.
Learning Arabic when he traveled to Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt in 1979 allowed him to connect to others from differing cultures too, Maddess added.
He explained that his passion for music was influenced by the resident conductor at the time, David Hoyt, taught him to play the French Horn in 1973 when he was in Hardesty Junior High School.
Maddess encouraged people to try things and make mistakes.
He continued, “Don’t sit there playing video games. Get out and dig a ditch. Do something. Write. Be creative. Play music.”
He encouraged people to reflect on what their story is, then to imagine what they want their story to be as “only you can answer that.”
Maddess said, “I don’t forget anything. That is a blessing and a curse. Every day is a blessing.”
