Building Confidence and Community With Music
How a ukulele helped one veteran reconnect with herself—and others
When Lisa Mannion walks into a room carrying 15 ukuleles, she already knows what to expect – a mix of hesitation, curiosity, and quiet doubt. Some participants sit patiently, waiting for instructions. Others look around nervously, as if trying to determine whether they belong. There are often whispers of: “I’m not musical” and “I can’t play an instrument.”
But before Lisa’s session ends, something usually shifts.
“You see that moment where someone realizes, ‘Oh … I can do this.’ Then they start laughing. They start singing,” says Lisa, an Army veteran who has used music as a tool to cope throughout her life.
Those moments are more than the sounds of a successful class. They are the start of something greater: a shared experience that helps veterans build connections and open the door to healing after service.
Chords of Change
Lisa grew up in a musical family. Her mom was a drummer. Her dad performed in a KISS cover band. Her brother played multiple instruments. Lisa followed suit, singing and playing piano and guitar from a young age.
“Music has always been part of my life,” she says.
A desire for structure and purpose led her to enlist in the Army at age 25.
Lisa began her military career as an information technology specialist. She went on to become a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Her unit deployed twice, once to Afghanistan and Iraq, where Lisa supported communications.
Each time, music kept her grounded.
“My ukulele, it’s gone with me everywhere. It was the perfect traveling companion,” she says, adding that it helped her and others cope with the high-stress environments.
At one point, she was even part of an Army band, performing in a music contest called Bagram’s Greatest Talent. “We created this special event on base to bring people together to have some joy and camaraderie through music.”
Music also opened doors to new opportunities.
In 2014, Lisa auditioned for and was selected to join the 82nd Airborne Division’s All-American Chorus. For more than three years, she performed as a chorale vocalist, delighting audiences around the globe. Her last performance took place during a D-Day commemoration at Sainte-Mère-Église, France.
“Music found me again in a whole new way,” she says.
Drowning Out the Noise
When Lisa left the Army in 2018, the transition proved more difficult than she anticipated.
During her deployments, Lisa recalls, “a lot of continuous bombing at night.” At the time, she focused on the mission, trying to drown out the noise.
“But those sounds — alarms, echoes of explosions — they stick with you,” she says.
After leaving the military, those experiences began to surface in ways Lisa hadn’t expected. Loud noises became triggering. Fireworks on the Fourth of July brought back memories.
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a hard parachute landing complicated her healing.
She isolated. She struggled with her sense of identity.
“It took me a couple of years to even identify as a veteran,” she says. “To accept when people said, ‘thank you for your service.’”
Like many veterans, Lisa didn’t ask for help. Instead, she pushed down her feelings. “I used work and distractions instead of dealing with what was really going on,” she says.
Finding Harmony Again
Things shifted when Lisa connected with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP).
Although she remembers seeing television commercials for WWP®, it took nearly five years after leaving the military – and a recommendation from another veteran – before Lisa decided to reach out.
When she did, it changed the trajectory of her healing.
“It was the first time I had connected with fellow veterans since leaving the military, and I immediately felt at home,” Lisa says of a week-long adventure-based mental health retreat she attended.
Through shared experiences, including WWP events like Soldier Ride®, Lisa found what so many veterans seek after service: a sense of connection that makes a meaningful future feel possible.
To help her navigate her post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and TBI, Lisa spent two weeks at Rush University, attending its Road Home Program, which is part of WWP’s Warrior Care Network®.
“That program saved my life,” Lisa says.
“Road Home gave me more than tools to put in my toolkit. I can realize if I’m feeling overwhelmed, for instance, what I need to do.”
The program also helped Lisa realize she wasn’t broken. “It helped me realize I’m a work in progress. And that’s OK.”
Most importantly, she says, “They gave me courage and confidence to step out as myself.”
A New Refrain
At the Road Home Program, participants reflect on their trauma through creative expression. For Lisa, that meant songwriting and music.
Music brings people together. And when people connect, that's when healing begins.
“Music was a place where I could breathe,” she says. “I didn’t have to explain anything. The chords knew.”
During the exercise, she wrote a song titled "Puppet on a String."
“It’s about finally letting go, of cutting those strings and becoming your own person,” she says.
Armed with a better understanding of how her brain worked, mental health tools to support her well-being, and newfound confidence, Lisa finally felt ready to face the world.
Music, always a constant, led her forward.
Strumming for Wellness
As Lisa continued doing the work to support her well-being, she began to think about how she could help others.
With her ukulele in hand, Lisa created Strumming for Wellness, a ukulele class for veterans and their families to experience the therapeutic benefits of music.
“It’s not about perfection, it’s about the process,” says Lisa, adding that each participant is gifted their own instrument.
To date, Lisa has connected with hundreds of veterans across Chicago and beyond, including those attending local WWP connection events.
In every class, she sees the same transformation unfold.
“At first, people are quiet. Then they start to open up. By the end, they’re talking, laughing, helping each other,” she shares.
The music is the bridge that helps veterans connect, gain confidence, and begin to heal.
“Music is medicine. Whether someone is dealing with PTSD, depression, or just the stress of transition, music gives them a way to express what they can’t always say,” explains Lisa.
Staying in Rhythm
As Lisa helps others find their rhythm and rediscover their confidence, she continues her own journey. To keep moving forward, she embraces daily habits — journaling, short meditations, walks, and connecting with family and friends. “It’s the little things,” she says. “Those small steps matter.”
After a divorce, though, Lisa found herself in need of support. WWP was there. In addition to alumni events, which helped her maintain connection, Lisa sought opportunities to boost her confidence and resilience.
In mid-2025, after entering a new relationship, Lisa asked her partner to join a couples' mental health retreat. “It was so fun and rewarding,” she says, adding that it helped her partner gain a deeper understanding of the challenges veterans face. It also gave them the tools to build a stronger relationship.
“This retreat made me feel more comfortable opening up about my experiences and having the confidence that my partner would be there to support me,” she says.
“I never thought I could bridge the gap between my family and the veteran community,” Lisa adds, “but Wounded Warrior Project helped make that possible.”
Carrying the Melody Forward
Music remains Lisa’s outlet, even on days when the weight of her experiences feels especially heavy. Those days still come. But she has found peace in facing them honestly.
“I am a combat veteran. I’ve dealt with isolation, PTSD, moral injury, and traumatic brain injury. I will always have that,” she says. “But I don’t have to cover it up anymore.”
That understanding allows her to move forward with greater confidence and clarity. “Being able to give back to the veteran community helps me and is something I look forward to,” Lisa says. “It’s amazing how something so simple as a four-stringed ukulele can bring people together to create real, special moments of connection and healing.”
Her efforts have been recognized, including being named one of Illinois’ Top 25 Women Veteran Leaders in 2025.
But for Lisa, meaning isn’t measured in recognition. Rather, it’s in the rooms where music creates connection.
“Music brings people together,” she says. “And when people connect, that’s when healing really begins.”
Discover creative opportunities to connect with others at WWP.
Contact: Cynthia Weiss – Public Relations, cweiss@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.738.2589
About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is the nation’s leading veterans service organization, focused on the total well-being of post-9/11 veterans, active-duty service members, and their families. Our programs, advocacy, and awareness efforts help warriors thrive, provide essential lifelines to families and caregivers, and prevent veteran suicides. Learn more about Wounded Warrior Project.
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