Brain Responses to Music

Brain Responses to Music

            The need for regularly occurring rest in music is more than a mere notion. Because Jesus declared in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”, the principle of rest should be a concomitant sacred musicing.  The mental and emotional effect of the music part (i.e. the formal properties of the music) of a Christian’s sacred musicing must be congruent with the concepts of sacred musicing that are taught in the Bible. Continuous unresolved loud sounds and incessant unreleased tension result in a driving forward propelling directionality (produced from the formal properties of a piece of music) that is not a proper concomitant for the message of the gospel.

          Hodges wrote, “Emotional responses can be evoked when a strong musical rhythm influences internal body rhythms.  Rock music often has this visceral effect, harnessing heart and breathing rates to the beat.”  A Concise Survey of Music Philosophy by Donald Hodges, p.161.   Hodges was not trying to influence Christian music by his statement, but was merely explaining No. 2 of the BRECVEMA model. The BRECVEMA model is an acronym used in Patrick Juslin study on brainstem responses to music. This research has provided the means to explain the triggering of every-day and aesthetic emotions.  Ibid. p.153.

 Since research results have shown that this type of music harnesses “heart and breathing rates to the beat”, Christian musicians should take account of what this music does to the seeker or would be worshiper!  I contend that the emotions that are triggered by religious music of this type have the power to render the worship experience ineffectual.  Although admittedly no one can say with certainty that all listeners will respond negatively to this harnessing of their emotions, it is worthwhile for the worship leader to consider what it means for the musical vehicle to have this kind of visceral effect on the auditor. 

Thought for the Day

Christian musicians who have seriously doubted the authenticity of much of what has been written about the dangers of the music part of many styles of religious music are now face to face with Patrick Juslin’s BRECVEMA model which was carried out under scientific controlled conditions.