Instrumental Music in Christian Music Education Part 2

Instrumental Music in Christian Music Education Part 2

            With the introduction in yesterday’s post, I will have to say that the use of musical instruments is so connected and entwined with singing in both the old and New Testament that I can find no reason, based upon the Holy Writ to exclude the use of musical instruments in public worship.  Their use must: have properly controlled volume, be tastefully performed, be appropriately orchestrated, and properly utilized as a concomitant to and not the master of, congregational singing.

 I also see no Bible based justification for the use of musical instruments that perform music (instrumental music alone) as a part of public worship.  After spending more than a quarter of a century studying the use of instruments in the Bible, I have concluded that instruments were used alone and with singing in bringing praise and honor both inside and outside of ancient Temple worship.  Also, after extensive study of music in the New Testament I find no biblical justification for the exclusion of musical instruments when worshiping God either publically or privately. For a very thorough study of the use of singing with and without musical instruments and the use of instrumental music alone in the Bible please read my book Music of the Bible in Christian Perspective.

So, I have come to the philosophical conclusion that instrumental music education is vital to and necessary to a CME (Christian music education).  Even a music education that is considered a basic CME should include training in instrumental playing.  Certainly a thorough quality music education must include the opportunity for students to play and perform in an instrumental music organization.