Striking a Chord

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What's the effect of four deployments on a soldier? Susan Cohn Rockefeller's new documentary Striking a Chord is a window on that world, where troops maneuver between constant threat and crushing boredom. It's also a look at how music can provide some relief and a return, however brief, to normalcy. The spine of the 30-minute documentary is singer-songwriter Nell Bryden's tour of American bases in Iraq. As Bryden travels through Iraq, we see firsthand the joy and relief the music brings the troops serving there. The backdrop to the story of Striking a Chord is the somber reality of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and its devastating and isolating effects. At least 20 percent of soldiers will return from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD. Inter-cut with uplifting and moving scenes of Nell's performances and talks with the soldiers are interviews with a psychiatrist who speaks to how music addresses stress, promoting relaxation, expression of feelings and promoting healing of invisible battle scars. Striking a Chord reminds us that when our soldiers return home, they need special care and attention; PTSD is a disorder that many veterans are ashamed to speak about. Yet it's all too common, and, as the film shows, music can provide a way to begin the healing process.