Welcome back to my world…
When we talk about music, most of the times we recall relaxing and joyful experiences. Pop music gets stuck in our head and brings us happiness and energy or some of us love rock music as it helps us express our stress and get the confidence of life back. Music colors our lives. However, you may not know that music can also be a powerful weapon in wars, as well as a violent force that can lead to pain and suffering.
Music is also used as a form of torture. According to the justice campaign website, “noise has been used by torturers to either mask sounds of others being tortured or to disrupt sleep, terrorize or create desperate emotions within the prisoners.” Prisoners are forced to listen to loud rock and rap music through loudspeakers. Researchers from the Cold War learned more about this kind of “no-touch torture” which leaves no marks on victims’ bodies. They found that extended bouts of noise could bring damage to a subject’s personality. American soldiers were trained to withstand torture with a musical component.
Although music is often used as a weapon in war, it is not always used violently. It can also be used as a propaganda device to cheer up soldiers. Patriotic songs are used by the government to unite citizens together to fight against enemies.
Music is a highly effective propaganda vehicle as it spreads quickly among the country. It provides a way of social change which can be used to achieve specific goals with the lyrics, the melody and rhythms that take on deeper meanings than those that appear on the surface.
As we can see from the close relationship between music and wars, even the relaxing and healing music can become destructive weapons in wars. Everything has two sides. When we examine issues, we cannot let our bias stop us from making a reasonable decision. So, the next time when you listen to music, maybe think about how it is used for other purposes!
Anyway, if you are a music lover, you will enjoy it under any circumstances, even in the middle of a war.
so, listen to your favorite one, enjoy, and live the rhythm…!
Live the Rhythm 