It’s been an odd past few weeks for the music industry. Lil’ Wayne’s street cred has shot through the roof (no pun intended), Michael Jackson proved he is the king of posthumous lawsuits, and of course, Kanye West’s ego has reached heights the “balloon boy” could only dream of.

    But the strangest news in the world of modern music are the recent reports that songs by R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails and the like may be used as a means for CIA torture in Iraq and Afghanistan.
    There are plenty of injustices in the world, no doubt more ghastly than forcing prisoners to listen to “Everybody Hurts” on repeat, but purposely driving a prisoner mad via popular music is incredibly warped, albeit slightly ingenious.
    After all, listening to any Miley Cyrus track more than once would certainly drive me insane.  But as is being reported, it is common for the CIA to play the same song, 24/7 for months on end, which is unadulterated sadism that goes beyond unpaid performance royalties.
    This is not the first time our military has used music as a means of coercion. Those old enough to remember the American invasion of Panama in 1989 will recall U.S. troops blaring loud music (reportedly Bon Jovi and ACDC) in an effort to induce the surrender of Panamanian military dictator Manuel Noriega.
    The difference is the songs used today are, for the most part, by artists who are adamantly anti-war (Michael Stipe and Eddie Vedder, to name two). Is that ironic or what?
    The idea that music can be used to drive a person insane proves the incredible potential of music itself.
    On the opposite end of the spectrum, universities across the country (ISU included) offer degrees in music therapy, under the assumption that music can improve a person’s mental, emotional or even physical health.
    If there is anything that impacts human beings more than music, I have yet to find it.   
    Music has shaped cultures, created personas and shifted stereotypes. It generates fine art while replicating tired clichés. Some people even base crucial life decisions on a song that comes on the radio during an emotional crisis.
    I am currently reading a book called, “Musicophila,” which is essentially a study of music’s effect on the brain by Oliver Sacks, the author of the famous exposé, “The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat.” Though I haven’t gotten far, I find the following observation absolutely fascinating.
    “We keep time to music, involuntarily, even if we are not consciously attending to it,” the author asserts. “Our faces and our postures mirror the ‘narrative’ of the melody, and the thoughts and feelings it provokes ... our auditory systems, our nervous systems, are indeed exquisitely tuned for music.”
    Obviously everyone responds differently to a piece of music, but even entire cultures have different reactions to specific genres.
    For example, a song that appears to be a religious hymn in our culture might actually be a battle cry in another. Even societies that are almost identical differ significantly in music preferences.
    Music is so many things to so many people, but should never be used as a torture device. I don’t condone torture in any form, but because I am a fan of the artists who never agreed to assist modern day Machiavelli(s), this really angered me.
    If my bossy childhood and pervasive sarcasm eventually send me to hell, I am certain it will be similar to what these prisoners were forced to endure.
    Let’s hope Satan has never heard of Nickelback.