What’s the effect of four deployments on an American soldier? WAFF and Susan Cohn Rockefeller teamed up to produce Striking a Chord, a new documentary that provides a window into a world where troops maneuver between constant threat and crushing boredom – and how the power of music can provide some relief, however brief, to normalcy.

Striking a Chord takes the audience right onto army bases in Iraq. The film follows singer-songwriter Nell Bryden and her band’s second tour to Iraq. We see firsthand how music brings joy and relief to the troops by briefly breaking their isolation and boredom. Long lines of soldiers waiting to share their stories with the band after every concert attest to the positive effect the music has on the troops.

Striking a Chord reminds us that when soldiers return home, they need special care and attention. PTSD is a disorder that many veterans are ashamed to speak about, yet it is all too common, and, as the film effectively depicts, music can provide a way to start the healing process.