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Appendix 1: Soldier E-mail and Sample Questions from Soldier Interviews
- Indiana University Press
- Chapter
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Appendix 1 Soldier E-mail and Sample Questions from Soldier Interviews Dear (name), Hi, my name is Jon Pieslak and I am a professor of music at The City College of New York. I am working on a study that explores how music plays a role in the war in Iraq and came across your e-mail/blog/web site as I was doing my research. As part of my work, I am very interested in getting the opinions and perspectives of soldiers, and I was wondering if you might be interested in being a part of my study. Basically, I want to e-mail you a few questions about music and your time in Iraq—like, “Could you describe the roles of music, if any, in your life in Iraq” and questions like that. It wouldn’t take up too much of your time and I will respect your anonymity if you wish. If possible, I’d love to speak to you over the phone, but I understand that you may be busy and e-mail may be preferable. I want to present the viewpoints of soldiers in an uncensored form and allow their voices to be heard without editorializing. There is no ambition to profit from your experiences or to express political views through this scholarship. It would be great to have you as part of this study, so please let me know if you might be interested. Even if you are not, I would like to wish you a safe and healthy future. Best wishes, Jon. The following questions served as a general outline for my personal and e-mail interviews with soldiers. I did not always strictly adhere to this sequence of questions, but followed the natural course of conversation as it related to each individual soldier. Background 1. Could you tell me a little about yourself, your background, and history in the military? For instance, where were you born? What was it like growing up? Did music factor into your life as a child? How did you become involved with the military? 190 Appendix 1 2. When and where were you deployed? In what capacities did you serve in Iraq? Could you describe your duties while in Iraq? What did you do all day? 3. Prior to going to Iraq, did you enjoy particular kinds of music? If so, in what circumstances? How frequently did you listen, daily, weekly, rarely? Music in Iraq 4. While in Iraq, did you listen to music? If so, what kinds of music? Describe your musical environment while there. Did your musical preferences change while in Iraq? 5. How did music fit into a typical day in Iraq, if at all? Did you have specific kinds of music for certain activities, such as music for hanging out? 6. Was there combat around your area or when you went into the field? Did you ever listen to music before going into the field? If so, what kinds of music? Describe this experience. 7. Did you feel that music affected you in any way? If so, could you describe how? How did you relate to the music you listened to, if at all? If you felt music had an impact on you, was it the lyrics, the sounds, or both? 8. Are you familiar with any uses of music in PSYOPS or interrogation? If so, how was music employed in these situations? 9. Did you write music while in Iraq? If so, could you tell me about the music you wrote and what you were trying to express? Did you record music? If so, could you describe how you recorded it? 10. Please feel free to say anything else about the role music played in your life in Iraq. ...