ORLANDO, Fla. — While Rob Fess was playing piano at Nemours Children’s Hospital, a little girl approached with a blue rose wrapped in plastic.
She thanked him for the songs and handed him the flower. Fess said he did not know what brought her to the hospital, but the gesture stayed with him.
“Moments like these remind me why I play,” he said in written responses to Channel 9.
For the Orlando-area Army veteran and composer, music has become both a personal outlet and a way to bring comfort to patients, families and fellow veterans.
Finding his way back to music
Fess said he took piano lessons from third through sixth grade but lost interest as he grew older.
During his deployment to Iraq in 2007 and 2008, he occasionally returned to the piano during downtime, playing to relax and occupy his mind.
He later deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and 2012, serving as an embedded police adviser in Kabul. After military service and a career in law enforcement, he said he struggled with PTSD, depression and substance use disorder.
In 2019, he began composing original piano music as he worked through recovery.
“I discovered that sitting at the piano allowed me to express emotions that I often couldn’t put into words,” Fess said.
He describes composing as telling stories through notes, drawing on his emotions and experiences. One of his pieces, “Everywhere I Go,” reflects the relationships, challenges and lessons people encounter throughout life.
A different way to serve
Fess moved to Florida in 2018. He said his connection to Nemours began through visits when his son was younger, when he noticed a grand piano that was not being used often.
He contacted volunteer services and shared his music. Today, he said, he plays at the hospital approximately three days a week.
“When I sit down at the piano, it helps quiet the chaos in my mind,” he said.
Fess said he has watched children settle as they listen and spoken with veterans who told him the music helped them find a moment of peace.
Those encounters give him a sense of purpose while helping him stay connected with others.
“Helping others through my music has become an important part of helping myself,” he said.
A message for Veterans Day
As Veterans Day approaches, Fess wants his story to encourage people who are struggling after military service or facing mental health challenges.
He said leaving a career built around service can mean losing familiar routines, structure and identity. His own recovery has involved finding another way to contribute.
“Even at our lowest moments, we still have something valuable to offer the world,” Fess said.
He does not describe rebuilding his life as an instant transformation.
“Recovery takes time, effort, support, and determination, but rebuilding a meaningful life is possible,” he said.
For him, the piano has become a place to express difficult emotions and share something with people navigating hardships of their own.
“What began as a way to manage my own emotional pain eventually became an opportunity to bring comfort and peace to others,” he said.
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