The
fact that more than the formal properties of the music are involved in all
music performance or listening has been glossed over by a host of Christian
musicians. Christian community does and
should affect all of a Christian’s musical experiences—the influences of this
present age or system also affect us. Although
many Christian musicians deny it, all of us are affected by the influences of
the world. By the term world I mean the
aion (165) not the kosmos (2889). Aion
is defined as the system of this age and kosmos the physical world in which we
all live.
So, how
we perceive music is partially influenced by community. I am often reminded or Romans 14:7 which
states, “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” I know that the writer of the letter to the
Romans was referring to the eating of meats, but the same is true of our
performing and listening to music. What
we believe and bring to a musical experience will influence how we perceive and
respond to it. So, there is no doubt
about it, community does influence a music’s meaning and thereby its influence
on the performer or listener.
The
previous experiences that a person has had with a particular genre of music
will cause it to exert meaning on a religious performance in that genre. The former context that one associates with a
particular style of music will of necessity cause it to communicate
meaning. I contend that it will convey
both musical and spiritually related meaning.
The
music part of music, as a result of the intent of the composer, the meaning produced
by the arrangement of its formal properties, and the context or community within which it
is performed or heard, will communicate meaning to the performer and the
listener. So, music performed or heard
in the context of community does matter.
Music matters because the combination of these factors contributes
greatly to the communicated meaning of all music performed and heard.
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