Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 11

Musical Sound Communicates Meaning Part 11   

            We are now continuing our discussions of music’s meaning.  So far we have discussed discernment concerning musics meaning; The bible terminology “joyful sound”; gaining musical understanding; the hypothesis that the formal properties of music affect its meaning; the formal properties of the music Moses and Joshua heard disturbed them; in the N.T, both singing and instrumental music had meaning; the meaning of carnal and spiritual musicing; music as a closed system; and the context of musicing unto God.

            I call the philosophical pursuit that “anything goes in church music” a “praxis” because it is an “on purpose” way of musicing regardless of whether or not it is thought out or written.   With this on purpose denial of the existence of transmittable musical meaning, a musician is allowed or is free to music without any restraint.  This praxis allows any music genre to be used in music worship because those who follow this philosophical pursuit falsely believe all music styles are appropriate to represent the “joyful sound”.  With the acceptance of this false belief, the musician is free to become autonomous in philosophy and practice.  

            The discussion of musical sound sooner or later brings up the heated debate over whether music is or is not capable of arousing passion. Secular music philosophers have batted this philosophical ball around rather unsuccessfully for at least a half century.  Those who disagree with arousal theory are the hard core absolutists, many of whom uncategorically deny that music has any meaning outside of itself i.e. the “music is in a bubble” [music is a closed system] philosophers.  It is amazing to me that any Christian musician could honestly climb on the absolute formalism band wagon and deny that music has the power to arouse passion in the performer and the auditor.  

Thought for the Day- 

Rock and pop composers have published an enormous amount of literature on musical sound in which they purport that sound arouses sexual passion.  I often wonder why Christian musician’s purport that if one adds words to this music it neutralizes the music’s power to arouse passion.