Music in American Crime Prevention and Punishment

Although the use of music for extramusical purposes has been a part of American culture for some time, for much of the general public the phenomenon remained largely unknown until revelations became widespread of startling military practices during the second Iraq War. In Music in American Crime Prevention and Punishment, Lily E. Hirsch explores, through a series of fascinating case studies, the related terrain at the intersection of music and law, demonstrating the ways in which music has become a tool of law enforcement and justice. To do this, Hirsch asks several questions: How does the law treat music? When and why does music participate in the law? How does music influence the legal process? How does the legal process influence music? And how do these appropriations affect the romantic ideals underlying our view of music?