Is Music Communicative or not?

Is Music Communicative or not?   

          The concept of musical communication has been a buzz word for over a half century among Christian musicians.  Christian musicians have had a sincere desire to make sure that the music they use in public ministry connects so that it will communicate meaning to both Christians and the un-churched.  Many who have advocated change in the music utilized in children’s ministry as well as teen and adult ministry have based their musical philosophy on both style and text.  However, a confusing paradox has occurred.  Those who have advocated complete style change have at the same time purported that the music part of music does not matter since it does not communicate meaning to the hearer, and furthermore, that only text communicates meaning.

           So, it is difficult to understand how something that does not communicate meaning is so vital to music ministry.  It seems to me that if the music part of music does not communicate meaning, then one should ask, why all the fuss about style change? Why cause so much division over traditional church music if only words matter.  Wouldn’t it be much better to simply write new words with current urban imagery and set them to traditional church music? If communication is the issue, then I understand changing the pictures created by the mind from descriptions and figures of speech.  However, many times new worship music does not succeed much better than hymns and gospel music at producing urban mental images that are germane to an urban unchurched audience.