The Purpose Of Music

Last night, watching the 1967 television series "The Prisoner" on DVD (episode: 'Hammer Into Anvil'), there was a delightful slogan on display as No. 6 (Patrick McGoohan) perused the record selection in The Village's music shoppe: "Music makes for a quiet mind." Mind control so delightfully obvious!

Yet, I remember a time, in my childhood, when that sentiment was actually quite widespread, that the sole legitimate purpose of music was to induce a state of calm. My father, for one, insisted upon it. The use of that slogan in "The Prisoner" was so ironic - in the 1960's, I'm sure many Britons shared my father's opinion. That explains so much why the advent of rock-and-roll was so disturbing - music was being used to produce an altogether different state of mind. Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaucescu, among many others, railed against Elvis Presley throughout the 1970's for exactly that reason. Just like I'm sure his father railed against jazz music....

We'll never make that mistake again! Or will we?

That's why I like musical theater - it soothes the inner demons!