Rehab Shows How Rock Music Can Help In Addiction Recovery

Ex-Korn Guitarist Wesley Geer forms music group to help people discover clean and sober fun.

Anaheim, California – Rock music, rock stars, and rock concerts are often identified with drugs and alcohol but at the Lighthouse Treatment Center, an addiction recovery facility in Anaheim, CA, rock music becomes a tool to help people discover clean and sober fun.

Once a week, the music group Rock to Recovery comes to the Lighthouse to teach residents how to write and record songs, sing together, and play instruments. The lively and innovative music therapy program has always been a highlight for many of the Lighthouse residents.

Lighthouse alumni Jose Juarez shared that he would always look forward to the Rock to Recovery sessions when he was still a resident at the Lighthouse, “As a former client, I always looked forward to the Rock to Recovery groups every Wednesday. Learning how to play instruments and creating music while in treatment was so fun.”

Rock to Recovery is a group composed of professional musicians that was created to help soothe people who are undergoing recovery treatment through music. According to founder Wesley Geer, founding member of the rock band Hed PE and former guitarist for the legendary band Korn, he realized that music could be a powerful tool within the recovery community. Being engaged in music can help people get through their emotions, improve their self-esteem, reduce cravings, and develop a sense of belonging.

According to Shane Barrios, a staff from the Lighthouse, the musical program is a reminder that people in recovery can still be fun, crazy, and wild while staying clean and sober. “It is an atmosphere that breeds amazing memories of fun and laughter in recovery, while creating a bond between men and women that cannot be replaced,” Barrios said.

Aside from conducting weekly sessions, Rock to Recovery also holds an annual benefit concert that aims to extend the reach of the program. This year’s sold-out event was held last August 24 at Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, CA and was attended by Lighthouse residents and alumni. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards funding services that help people suffering from addiction.