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Music

THUMP and Electric Forest Introduce "Electric Forces"

Celebrating our nation's veterans, festival-goers and the healing power of dance music.

Last year at Electric Forest, I had the privilege of meeting two amazing individuals, Patrick Hawco and Timothy Jay Read, both of whom lost limbs due to injuries sustained while serving with the Marines in Afghanistan. During our chance encounter in an environment as special and unique as a summer music festival, I got to hear and learn about their life-altering experiences and how ultimately, dance music and their time at Electric Forest helped their healing.

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Pat and Tim let me help them share their story with the world and the reception was incredible. We knew that the story couldn't end there. Pat and Tim's EForest experience and their passion for electronic music at large introduced many of us to a community within festival culture that has been unheralded. Through them, we've learned about the growing number of our nation's veterans who share a love for festivals as places where they find the positivity and catharsis.

Pat and Tim, the organizers of Electric Forest, and the team at THUMP have developed an innovative program to give voice to this community of vets. Electric Forces is emboldened by the mission to share stories and develop a community between veterans, festival-goers and the music that we all know, share and love. During this year's Electric Forest, Pat and Tim will help lead a group of veterans in hosting a space where vets and fans can share their festival stories of realization, inspiration, and community on camera and in person.

We couldn't be more thrilled to head back to the Michigan woods this June to continue what will surely be a profound experience and a damn good time. We want to help empower the stories of our nation's veterans whose commitment to service allows us the freedoms to dance, love and play at festivals around the country all year. See you in the forest!

Read THUMP's interview with Pat and Tim at Electric Forest

Buy tickets to this year's Electric Forest