The Road to Fayetteville

Service, education, and the arts have led Dallas Lee on an interesting journey. His involvement with the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival began five years ago when he submitted a dramatic reading that won first place at the local competition.

Dallas Lee’s road to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 2011 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, promoting art therapy and rehabilitation, was long and winding.

As his story goes, “In the ninth grade I made a trade with my best friend—my girlfriend for his harmonica,” says Lee. 

He learned to play the harmonica, and his love of music and the arts grew.

Artistic Growth

During high school Lee performed with the choir and continued to sing with groups while in the Air Force, when he was forced onto light duty because of his spinal disease. In college, Lee did some theater and began honing his skills at dramatic readings. As time went on, he got involved with the music therapy program at the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System.

When you hear Lee’s deep, clear voice, you completely understand why he would be drawn to dramatic readings. In fact, you wonder why he never became a radio announcer.  This long and winding road led him to Fayetteville, Ark., for the 2011 festival.

 

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