What is a Music Philosophy?

What is a Music Philosophy?

            If we are going to keep discussing a philosophy of music then we must know what it is.  Some grass roots church musicians say, “I’ve done this all these years without a philosophy, why do I need one now?”  They are somewhat like the church board member who adamantly refused to agree to the church buying new chandeliers.  When asked why he replied, “First, no one here really knows what chandeliers are, second, they would cost a lot of money and third, we need some new lights in the sanctuary.”  Rather than bothering to ask what chandeliers were, the board member was actually fighting the very thing he believed the church needed. 

          Many church musicians that claim they don’t have a music philosophy are very outspoken about what should or should not happen in church music.  Although they declare that they don’t have a philosophy of music, they do have one it just isn’t systematic or thorough.

            What is a music philosophy?  It is a series of systematic beliefs concerning the nature and value of the whole of music.  These beliefs should be written and they should be systematic.  If you as a Christian musician are going to be prepared and not end up being ashamed you must, "Study to shew thyself approved (tested or approved 1384) unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15)