Thought for the day--music styles-part 1

How do Christians deduce that if they read the Bible, attend church, and pray they will become so spiritually fortified that they can listen to any type of music they wish and it will have no negative effect on them?

Music styles--part 1

       Dr. Robert Berglund once said, "Why is it that almost every music appreciation textbook written deals with style in music?  The obvious answer is that it is through style that music assumes much of its meaning to the listener." A Philosophy of Church Music p. 22.    Roger Scruton explained that, "The first step towards understanding music, therefore, is to understand sounds as objects of perception." Understanding Music, p.5.  So, it is universally understood by music philosophers that style matters.  Furthermore, music understanding is achieved through many means, but paramountcy through  the understanding of sounds delivered through music style. 
       Why should the Christian care about music styles?  It is believed by many Christians that style is only a matter of musical taste and therefore of little or no concern to the spiritual outcomes of sacred music.  The only problem with this "all styles are ok" notion is that this notion is just not ok!  In our posts for the next few days we will be considering music styles and their effect on both sacred and secular music in the life of a Christian.

Thought for the day-I believe part 2

I believe that whether one is listening to or preforming secular or sacred music he or she should always be aware of  the wonder of the infinite God who created music.

I Believe-Schools od Music Philosophy-part 2

Today I am going to discuss, very very briefly my position on the "garden variety" of schools of music philosophy.  Bennett Rimmer stated, "Aesthetics must be used by the music educator to serve his purposes."  He also said, "Only those portions of aesthetics useful to his purpose need be used." A Philosophy of Music Education, p 13.  I believe he was correct in his perception of how to use aesthetics in one's philosophical pursuit.  I feel the same way about aligning one's self with the major current schools of music philosophy: Formalism, Expressionism, Referentialism, Symbolism and Absolutism.  They all contain elements of usefulness, but are not worthy to accept completely.
       Perhaps I'm an un-absolutist, slightly formalist, fringe referentialist who believes in aesthetic experiences but refuses to  either worship these encounters with music or considers them to be the only worthy outcome of musicing.  I am by no means a strict absolute formalist, but I do believe that the internal formal properties are of vital importance to what makes  piece of music a beautiful, quality, organized, aesthetic, artistic musical composition. I am undecided about whether or not music contains symbols which are transmitted to the listener.
       Although I m not a strict referentialist, I am constrained to acknowledge that no one performs or listens to music in a vacuum.  Every performer and listener brings something to a listening or performing experience.  Therefore, I do find myself, at least partially, on the fringes of the camp or the music referentialists.  However, I am quite certain that they would in no case claim me!

Thought for the day

If you were Satan and knew how powerful  an influence music could have over mankind, what would you do to it to make it less efficacious for good?

What we know about music from the Genesis record-Part 2

       As we have have considered in previous posts, music in its beginning, is not the original concept of primitive mankind, but rather the concept of God who is alpha and omega the beginning and the end.  To assume anything less is presumptuous and has no basis  in or outside of Scripture.  God created sound or tone, the basis of music, and it has existed from the time of creation. As we have stated emphatically before, man did not evolve into existence, and likewise music did not evolve into existence. 
       The Genesis record does not major on the particulars of music in ancient times.  Frankly, the Genesis record establishes many other very important foundations that we will not discuss in these philosophical posts on music.
However, we are not completely left in the dark concerning the of the beginnings of music since we have the mention of Jubal and his music instruments early in the Genesis record.  By the time of Jacob (Genesis 31:27), we have record of songs, the frame drum translated in the KJV (toph 8596), and the lyre (kinnor 3658) translated harp in the KJV. 
        A review of Scripture (much of it later than the Genesis record) reveals that during Israel’s early period of nomadic life, instrumental music was well developed.  I will say gain that music's beginning can be traced back to creation, but most of its mention in the OT will be recorded after the Book of Genesis.  You may wonder what I am trying to establish philosophically by nailing down the facts of music's beginnings in God's creative acts and its early mention in Genesis. A simple answer is, at this point, that there are ancient landmarks of musicing to be found in early Scripture.

Thought for the day-Genesis record-part 1

Those who deny a literal creation by an infinitely wise God spend the rest of their lives developing stomach ulcers trying in vain to figure out how music began.

What we know about music from the Genesis record--part 1

Yesterday we discussed the fact that God created the seven note musical scale as an on purpose part of his six day creation.  At the end of the sixth day the Genesis record in chapter 1:31 explains “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”  As I stated earlier we know with certainty that in the beginning God created music.  Now we know with certainty in verse thirty-one that the music creation was not only good but also very good.  In God’s opinion the system of music he created was very good.  I don’t know about you but for me I trust God’s opinion for it embodies absolute truth concerning all aspects of music.

            One may honestly ask, “What is God’s opinion concerning music?”  This is an honest question so it deserves an honest answer.  Some of God’s ultimate and perfect opinion concerning music is found in the more than 600 references to music in the Bible.  Many Bible doctrines are only mentioned a few times in God’s Word but music is so important to God that he mentions it hundreds of times in this inspired infallible Word. 

            So, the concept that God doesn’t have any thing to say about sacred and secular music is false.  As a matter of fact, this faulty view actually denies God’s authority over the whole of Creation which includes the whole of music.  It behooves all of us to study His Word and discern just what His will is concerning music.  It is also safe to conclude that all Music Matters very much to God. Although it it presumptuous to claim to know exactly all that God thinks about music, we do know from His infallible inspired Word more about how to music unto Him than many Christian suppose.

Thought for the day

Some Christians believe that the music part of music (the seven note creation) doesn't matter to God in spite of the fact that He, on purpose, created it.  Can you imagine God creating something as wonderful as music that He doesn't care about?

The Seven Note Creation

       On January eleven 2012 we discussed that God created sound.  Today we are discussing God's creation of the seven note musical scale.  Before God created man, He created, “the heaven and the earth.”  The world was brought into being and set in motion at the will of God in accordance to His laws. 
        A part of these laws was the eternal concept of seven days ending with a Sabbath and a re-beginning on the eighth day.  God, without doubt, created music in the beginning to conform to these laws.  The eighth note of the musical scale is essentially the same as Sunday of the next week.  Sunday is the eighth day or the day of re-beginning of the same sequence just like the eighth note of the musical scale.  If you sing the diatonic major scale and stop on the seventh degree  this leading tone demands resolution.  The note of resolution is the eighth degree of the music scale which is the same as the first degree i.e. the tonic.   The concept of seven degrees in a musical scale cannot be improved upon since the number seven is always the number of perfection in Scripture, and eight is the number of regeneration and re-beginning. 

       When we study the te'amim (which is the musical notation found above and below the texts of the entire Old Testament) we find that the the tonic of both the psalmodic and prosodiac systems of notation have a tonic note.  (See chapter 8 of my book, Music of the Bible in Christian Perspective).  This tonic note is called "silluq".  This term means "end" and has the same function as the tonic note of our "modern" diatonic scale.. God created and rested in seven days and God made a seven note  scale with a resting note.  After the seventh day the sequence of days re-begins and after the seventh note the musical scale re-bergins--all this is more than a coincidence!  It is the work of an omniscient creator.

       Outside of our knowledge of  the te'amim, the Pentateuch is relatively silent as to the specifics of the beginnings of music.  However, we do know that God imparted musical knowledge to man before the flood.  Genesis 4:21 states that Lamech’s son Jubal, “was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ."  We also know that Adam was given domain over the erets (776--see Jan. 17 post) so he no doubt had wisdom concerning music. The more we learn about God 's seven note creation the more we are drawn to the conclusion that a God this wise is capable of guiding us in developing a unified Christocentric music philosophy in the twenty-first century.  Praise God!

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