The Different Purposes of Military Music and iPods

The power of technology now a days has allowed us to play music whenever and where ever whether it be through a speaker or even through a small mp3 device. Whether music is being played in the military or on your iPod, music somehow plays a role in our lives. When comparing the uses of military music to the uses of iPods, many people might not think these two have anything in common. But uses of military music and the people’s uses of their iPods have different purposes but very similar uses.

In Pieslak’s chapter from Sound Targets, it talks about how military music is used as a weapon in the Iraq War. I think it can be comparable to the article about iPod culture because the uses of iPod can be identified as a form of weapon but with a different purpose from military music. Military music plays a role as a weapon in the Iraq War because of its equally potential to frustrate and irritate. The U.S. military sometimes plays music through loud speakers, in attempts to harm insurgents’ ability to fight. They abuse the use of music to force insurgents to answer questions in interrogation when they are unwilling to. In the iPod culture article, the author uses the term called Audiotopia which refers to “both the intense pleasure described by iPod users as they listen to music and to their desire for continuous, uninterrupted use”. (528) Many people now a days uses their iPod as a weapon to block themselves from the world. I use the term weapon not in the sense that the uses of iPods can physically hurt anyone but the fact people use it as a sense to protect themselves from others. Many iPod users in this article state how they use their iPods as a shield to prevent others from interrupting their own privacy bubble. One iPod user stat...

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... the ear, many interrogators are forced to follow their orders. While in Bull’s article, Ipod Culture, the loudness of music can be harmful to us. As stated in the article, “iPod users who turn up the volume to about 90 percent for on average 2 hours a day, 5 days a week can develop significant hearing loss”. (539) Many iPod users are unaware of how loud their music is playing. They adjust their volume according to their surrounding background noises.

In conclusion, the uses of military music and the people’s uses of their iPods have different purposes but very similar uses. While military music is being used as a weapon to harm others, loudness to forced interrogators to follow their orders, and using heavy metal to signify the military’s power, iPod users use iPods as a weapon to protect themselves, loudness of music to block sounds and viewing power as choices.