"I Rationed Food, Water, and my iPod Battery": Canadian Army Veterans on Music "In Theatre".

This article examines how Canadian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan used music to support their mental health, highlighting two case studies of veterans from the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. Unlike American soldiers in Iraq who predominantly used heavy metal and gangsta rap to prepare for combat, these Canadian soldiers often favored pop and country music to foster group cohesion, manage anxiety, and maintain emotional balance, especially during extended periods outside base camp. The study also explores gendered differences in musical consumption, illustrating how a female soldier used music both to navigate a hostile military culture and to privately express emotions suppressed in a hyper-masculine environment. Overall, the article argues that music serves as a vital, multifaceted tool for Canadian combatants to cope with the stresses of deployment and to sustain personal and social identities beyond their military roles.