Teaching the Next Generation to Music--Part 4

Teaching the Next Generation to Music--Part 4

          An often much overlooked necessity is studying music seriously.  It is no joke that “knowing is doing”.  A Christian cannot teach what he or she does not know.  In our highly educated world today it is ludicrous for one to try to instruct others in how to music and how to develop a music philosophy without as much as knowing the names of the lines and spaces.  Being a music consumer does not qualify one to instruct others in music.

          Christians must consider the whole of music.  This includes a long broad study or music which includes both sacred and secular music.  Everyone should have knowledge of classical, folk, pop, jazz, rock, country and a host of other types of music in order to converse intelligently with the generations to follow us as pastors, parents, and church musicians.  Anything less than music literacy and a general understanding of the performance practice of these styles will dwarf our possibilities of reaching our young people with a logical, reasonable, explainable, discussible, and practical philosophy of music.

Thought for the Day

          Why is it that many Christians both young and old believe that II Timothy 3:16, but have never considered that its truth extends to the whole of music?  It is over simplistic to pick and choose which verses on music to believe.  The fact that the Holy Writ and what it teaches is many times difficult to understand and interpret in the light of modern twenty fist century post-postmodern culture does not give a  musician the right to ignore the Bible’s teachings on music and musicing.  1Cointhians 13:12 explains very vividly, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”  The fact that, as 1Corinthians 13:9, “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.” does not give us the right to ignore the truths taught in the Holy Writ about music.