Music as torture condemned

One of the funniest statements you'll see in a long time came out a couple of weeks ago from the Society for Ethnomusicologists.

Stuff me, I laugh even as I read it now...

On behalf of the Society for Ethnomusicology the SEM Board of Directors approves the Position Statement against the Use of Music as Torture, which originated in the SEM Ethics Committee and has the unanimous support of the Board of Directors.

Are they complaining about too much Celine Dion? Bananarama? Bad rap? They want to find out that, as well:

The Society for Ethnomusicology

• calls for full disclosure of U.S. government-sanctioned and funded programs that design the means of delivering music as torture;
• condemns the use of music as an instrument of torture; and
• demands that the United States government and its agencies cease using music as an instrument of physical and psychological torture.

I sent them an email asking whether they were going to develop a position statement against the banning of music in those Islamic societies where it is punishable by death. I am still waiting for a response.