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Local paramedic seeing musical tribute have impact in unexpected ways

Local paramedic has song performed by U.S. Army Band in post-9/11 American soldiers tribute and feature in Christian music magazine while also opening a dialogue about PTSD among first responders.
2019-04-16 Nicholas Hennink MG
Nicholas Hennink is a Moose Jaw and District EMS advanced care paramedic who has been touched and surprised by the response to his music. (submitted photograph)

Nicholas Hennink was trying to support his fellow first responders and find an outlet for his own recovery when he began writing and recording songs with Jared Robinson.

When he asked if he could have imagined what it has grown into, the Moose Jaw and District EMS advanced care paramedic said: “not this.”

“We just wanted to support the first responders with the music that we’re doing,” Hennink said. “We wanted to do something different. It’s just a platform out there reach out to them. A lot has come from it and a lot more than we expected. So I’m blessed.”

On March 23 and 24 Hennink’s song “Warriors” was performed by the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”. The song opened two performances at ‘We Stand Ready: A Tribute to the Modern American Soldier’, a musical tribute to the post-9/11 American soldier. The lyrics to the chorus were changed with Hennink’s permission and the song was sung twice at Conmy Hall just outside Arlington National Cemetery.

Shortly thereafter Hennink was interviewed and featured in CCM Magazine which is devoted to contemporary Christian music based out of Nashville. Along with Jared Robinson from Nebulus Entertainment, Hennink recorded a cover of “You Say” by Lauren Daigle with permission from the artist.

“We put it online because it just means a lot to us. It’s on YouTube and everything else, but we sent it out randomly to a bunch of companies to see if anybody would grab onto it,” Hennink said. “(CCM Magazine) contacted me and said that they get a lot of submissions all of the time, but this one really stood out for them and they were really excited about it.

“It was really such a privilege because it’s rare that that happens to somebody who is not even on a label.”

Hennink has been a paramedic for 16 years, spending the past six in Moose Jaw. He created the project We Are Warriors out of his own struggles dealing with the stresses of the job as a first responder.

“I suffered with PTSD and addiction and landed in rehab for a month,” Hennink said. “When I got out I was going through my own recovery and I wanted to do something different. I wanted to reach out in my own way and tell them it was OK to come forward. I used to write music in South Africa and I played in some bands in Canada and I decided I would reach out to Jared Robinson and see if he would work with me. It’s been going great.”

Hennink now travels the province to promote awareness about the realities of being a first responder and to also fundraise for the campaign. He poses with a We Are Warriors banner with first responders and other health care employees and then posts the photos on social media.

“Every time I go… there is usually one or two people that will come up to me and tell me that they have struggled. I never realized how huge this issue was until I really started this campaign,” Hennink said. “I feel like it allows people to come forward. If my music - which is not such a big deal - if my music helps people come forward then that’s awesome.”

When he got out of rehab in August of 2017, he began writing. Not only have the songs been a way to begin a dialogue with other first responders, but it has also aided his own recovery.

“It’s an outlet,” he said. “The way I describe it to people is that you have this void. I used to fill it with alcohol – just like a lot of emergency services or first responders do. You fill it with something. When I came out of rehab I needed something. I needed an outlet, I needed something positive to fill my life with to help me through the dark times. Music was something I was passionate about anyways, so we went down that road. It’s amazing because now writing a song is such a release. I can put in on paper and record it and people can hear it.”

To date, Hennink has released four songs and they have plans to release a full album before the end of the year. He has played on his own at some events, but he and Robinson are hoping to get a full band together to play charity events and shows in the fall after the album is released.

“We’re releasing one more video that we’re pretty stoked about on the 1st of September,” said Hennink who added that the video was animated overseas and has a superhero theme.

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