September 22, 2016
After reading aloud a letter Loudoun Valley High School student Will Robinson’s parents wrote to him at the teen’s funeral and seeing a crowd of his peers mourning his suicide in January, Middleburg music therapist Tom Sweitzer had an epiphany.
He realized he had to create something that could bring hope to other teens feeling overwhelmed.
That’s when Sweitzer decided to create a musical to promote messages of suicide prevention and mental health awareness. “A WILL To Survive,” a 45-minute rock opera produced by Sweitzer’s A Place To Be music therapy, aims to reach teenagers with music and lyrics they can relate to. The show will begin touring Loudoun County Public Schools as part of the Same Sky Project this year, with a goal of performing in every middle and high school by spring 2018.