On Friday, February 14th, a tribute song to the Sheriff’s Office HARP Program (Helping Addicts Recover Progressively), was released and made available for sale on Spotify. The song, titled “Back Into The Light”, was composed by Ulf Sandström, a globally renowned specialist in Trauma Therapy and founder of the Peaceful Heart Network who also doubles as the foremost representative in Sweden of piano playing and composing in the traditions of boogie-woogie, with a lot of New Orleans flavor and over 4000 concerts internationally with his group Jump4Joy. He has played with artists such as “Frogman” Henry, Albert King, The Drifters, Tommy Ridgley and James Wheeler.
Sandström was inspired to compose this New Orleans Americana song after spending many hours with the participants of HARP via zoom and a weeklong visit to the program at the Chesterfield County Jail.
Sandstrom stated “”Music has an incredible ability to reach people in ways words alone cannot,” says Sandström. “With ‘Back Into The Light,’ I wanted to create a piece that not only tells a story but also serves as a companion for those navigating the challenges of recovery—especially when shame becomes a barrier. By letting go of shame and focusing on stepping back into the light, the road beyond sobriety can be much
shorter.”
Sandstrom doesn’t aim to make any money off of this song but rather has asked that all proceeds from Spotify go to the HARP-RVA charitable non-profit started by the Sheriff’s Office to bring HARP into the community to assist those struggling with addiction and seeking a pathway into recovery.
Sheriff Leonard, who started the HARP Program in 2016, stated “Ulf has been a great friend of HARP for many years who really cares for those in need which is shown here by his selfless actions of not only taking the time to compose this song but to also offer it up as a way to raise money for HARP-RVA.”
The mission of HARP-RVA is to serve the greater Richmond community by providing resources, education, treatment, and healthy alternatives to individuals in recovery and those suffering from active addiction. “This generous act by Ulf will help so many people in the Richmond region struggling with addiction by providing greater access to everything HARP can offer outside of our jail and out in our community” Leonard said. You can find the song “Back Into The Light” by Ulf Sandström this Friday when it launches on Spotify. For more information about HARP-RVA you can visit: https://www.harp-rva.org
