Sacred Music and Behavior

Sacred Music and Behavior

Students of music history and music philosophy are aware that as far back as the writings of Plato there is evidence that music philosophers often believed that music had the propensity to influence moral character.  This belief often led to the natural conclusion that music’s influence on character would affect the listener’s behavior.  Although psychology, sociology, social anthropology and ethology are generally considered to be the disciplines that study behavior, the study of the nature, value and meaning of a Christian’s musicing should be added to that list.

I am concerned that if children grow up on dry processed cereal in a box and boiled (or microwaved) hot dogs, they will consider processed cereal and hot dogs to be the best foods.  I am convinced that if our children grow up listening to Psychology, sociology, social anthropology, ethology,  
they will be convinced that these styles are the best and perhaps the only beautiful styles of music.  A culture and a community tends to follow the familiar and reject what they d not know and understand.  So, it is the responsibility of the church and the Christian school to provide children with opportunities to perform quality gospel music and the sacred classics.  If the church fails in this area, the proceeding generations of church goers will have a skewed understanding of the nature , value and meaning of sacred music and musicing.