UNPEACEFUL MUSIC

Peacefulness is about use and context, not inherent musical character.
Music can repel: used to deter crowds or undesirable activity (e.g., classical music outside stores to deter youths; music in parks and transit to clear out undesirables). These uses are unpeaceful regardless of the music’s aesthetic quality.
Example: Homer’s sirens as lure to death; beauty does not make it peaceful when used to harm.

National anthems often carry militaristic themes; they express pride in military power rather than universal solidarity.
US anthem: "The Star-Spangled Banner" (militaristic imagery and resilience under fire).
France: "La Marseillaise" (marching, avenging arms, defense of liberty).
New Zealand: "God Defend New Zealand" (militarism framed as defense; peace through defense rather than aggression).
Overall: militarism may be present but not necessarily directed at a specific other; context matters.

Much music serves the powerful; insurrectionary music challenges power, often via content or contrast with dominant music.
Jazz cited as insurrectionary by some analysts; music can express suffering and dreams of freedom.
Beethoven’s music interpreted differently depending on context; under totalitarian regimes it can be claimed as anti-regime, but contexts can also co-opt music for propaganda (e.g., Nazi Germany visuals and performances).
Barenboim and Said suggest Beethoven can symbolize freedom even under oppression; other views warn about instrumentalization by those in power.
Peacefulness of insurrectionary music depends on outcome: it is peaceful if it seeks justice nonviolently; music itself cannot decide which side is just.

Hate music exists across history and present: e.g., 1864 Democratic national anthem satire called "Nigger Doodle Dandy".
Modern hate music includes neo-Nazi labels and songs targeting minorities (e.g., Panzerfaust, Rahowa; lyrics invoking racial violence).
Music can be used to recruit and mobilize hate groups, often appealing to peers and allies rather than direct targets.
War/army use of music can manipulate soldiers’ motivation (e.g., Fahrenheit 9/11 example with combat songs used during raids).
Distinguishing feature: hateful music builds solidarity among collaborators at the expense of others (cooperation vs. collusion).
Contrast with unity songs like "We Are the World" that promote universal belonging rather than invidious comparison.

The music industry exploits producers, consumers, and promotional economies; production of demand often precedes production of supply.
Attali argues the value lies in the larger network of consumption and spectacle, not in the music object alone.
Commodification leads to inequities and trivialization of music; music is marketed as a commodity in a global system.
Despite vast profits and industry power, music can still resist commodification; Said’s view: music can resist acculturation and commodification.
The book highlights resistance by using music to promote peace, illustrating that openings and free spaces exist within a dominant system.

Peace is about handling conflict in mature, nonviolent ways (Galtung).
Combative music can be peaceful if it seeks justice through nonviolent means; music can operate as a counterforce to imperialism without endorsing violence.
Victory at Sea is unpeaceful because it supports naval violence, not because of the music’s genre.
Attali: all music is a tool for community-building; music can foster empathy and solidarity, yet it may be captured by power structures.
Insurrectionary music tends to target insiders (peers, allies) and can function through cooperation or collusion; peaceful resistance is possible when it promotes justice nonviolently.

Peaceful vs unpeaceful depends on usage and outcome, not intrinsic sound.
Insurrectionary music can be peaceful if it advocates justice without violence.
Hate and war music often aim to rally allies, not persuade enemies; this solidarity can harm third parties.
Weary of commodification: music’s social function can be reduced to a commodity, yet spaces for resistance remain.

Use matters more than intrinsic sound in determining peace vs unpeacefulness.
National anthems encode militarism but can reflect defensive patriotism.
Insurrectionary music can be peaceful if nonviolent and justice-oriented; context is decisive.
Hate music solidifies in-group identity at others’ expense; collusion harms outside parties.
Capitalism shapes music’s production and consumption; resistance can emphasize peace over commodification.
Peace involves nonviolent handling of conflict; music can aid or hinder this depending on application.

ABC News (2005) "Young Singers Spread Racist Hate"
Annan, Kofi (2004) Secretary-General's remarks on music and peace
Attali, Jacques (1985) Noise: The Political Economy of Music
Barenboim, Daniel and Said, Edward (2002) Parallels and Paradoxes
The Economist (2005) Classical Music and Social Control
Said, Edward (1991) Musical Elaborations
Shapiro, Michael (2004) Methods and Nations
Timberg, S. (2005) Halt, or I’ll Play Vivaldi!
Wikipedia (2005) Gangsta Rap
Rotten Tomatoes (2005) Great Conductors of the Third Reich: Art in the Service of Evil
Anti-Defamation League (2005) Panzerfaust updates
Free Your Mind (2005); Fuchs (2004); Loewen (1995) Lies My Teacher Told Me
Reich music sources and related analyses