Tape Jockey

"Tape Jockey" by Tom Leahy is a science fiction short story published in the early 1950s. The narrative revolves around a character named Bartle, who conducts a personality interview with a peculiar man named Arthur Pettigill in a musical therapy center known as the Melopsych Center. The story explores themes of societal structure and the implications of music as a form of psychological manipulation within a stratified society. In "Tape Jockey," Bartle, a Mid Echelon reporter, visits the Melopsych Center to interview Pettigill, who oversees the broadcast of specifically tailored music designed to cater to various societal Echelon levels for therapeutic purposes. Throughout their interaction, Pettigill reveals his dedication to serving the citizens through music but hints at a darker undertone when discussing the catastrophic consequences of a miscast in the music therapy that could drive the populace into madness. As the plot unfolds, the story culminates in a twist when Bartle receives a late-night call from Pettigill, who reveals his true intentions, suggesting a complete upheaval of society as they plot to transform the government by using music therapy as a means to control and influence the population. The story raises intriguing questions about power dynamics and the manipulation of society through seemingly innocuous means.