Thought for the day-Intellectually honest -Part 4

I believe that one of the ways a Christian musician can be unequally yoked together with unbelievers is to perform rock music. [see II Corinthians 2: 14.]

I believe-Intellectually Honest Performance-part 4

                          Performing Music in an Intellectually Honest Manner
I believe the following:

1.  If the performer were to straighten out the rhythm, tone down the volume, use correct classical vocal technique, and remove the incessant forward propelling directionality of the music, it is no longer rock music.  So this performance of “so-called” rock music is no longer an intellectually honest performance.

2.  If church musicians are going to perform religious rock music in an intellectually honest manner, it must be equally like secular rock music except the fact that this music has “religious lyrics.”

3.  If one is to perform religious rock music with correct rock music performance techniques, then the performer is saying by his or her actions that the music part of the music doesn’t matter. These musicians are purporting by their performance that the message of the music part of music should not be any different for sacred or secular music since the music part of the music is without cause and effect..

4.  Some church musicians believe that the music part of music does not have a message.  They believe that music is not capable of saying anything at all.  They believe that the formal properties of the music are without cause or effect therefore the formal properties are as though they weren't objectively "there".

5.  Therefore, the music part of music is considered to be benign or amoral.  Such a belief is without scholarly basis and is certainly a minority notion when considering the opinions of performers and composers since Plato and Aristotle. Have you ever heard a secular rock performer say that his music is benign? Only Christian rock performers believe that the music part of music has no effect on the listener.

6.  So, if we are to perform any style of music in an intellectually honest manner, we must find out what the music part of the music is saying. Then we must set about our musicing with the composer’s purpose in mind. We must understand that he or she understood what that specific style of music represented before, during and after he or she composed the music.

Thought for the day-I believe-Part 3

I believe that if a Christian musician has to drastically change a style of music in order to perform it, he or she is not performing this music in an intellectually honest manner.

I Believe-Truisms & Intellectual Property- part 3

 

I Believe that the following are Music Truisms:

  Music is not amoral.

  All music has a message.

  All music has meaning.

  All serious composers strive to say something with their art.

  All music affects the listener either positively or negatively, physically, mentally and spiritually.

  All music, both sacred and secular, matters.

  All Christians are responsible to make wise choices of both sacred and secular music.  

I Believe that  All Music Performance Should be Intellectually Honest

  One of the artistic obligations of any performer is to perform all music the way that the composer intended that it should be performed.  Surely Christian musicians should be as honest as non-Christians in the matter of honoring  someone's intellectual property.

  If you believe that you should perform religious hard rock music, it should be performed in “hard rock style” in the following intellectually honest manner:

   The rhythm should dominate the other elements of the music. 

   The rhythm should be performed with heavy offbeat rhythmic accents

   The rhythm should give the music a driving forward propelling directionality

   The rhythm should incessantly drive without any feeling of rest or repose.
   The rhythm should at least partially cover up the vocals. 

   The music must be loud; it must be incessant. It must not flow from repose-tension-repose.  The phrases    must not have recognizable beginning climax and final repose.

   If it is vocal music, it must be performed with non-vocal techniques, i.e. all chest voice, harsh tone, screaming or glottal shocks.

Quote for the day-new song 6

"There is a difference between people who sing songs about Jesus and those who sing that know Jesus." ( Pastor Tim Keep)

The New Song-part 6

       Another philosophical concept of "new song" is that it is the song of the redeemed.  This thought is prevalent throughout the verses that teach the doctrine of musicing new song unto God in both  the Old and New Testaments. This song is a song about the redeeming power of God.  It is the song of the upright in heart.  It is the song of those who have been born again and have passed from death unto life spiritually.
       Only the redeemed can honestly sing this song.  Psalm 33:1 explains that"...praise is comely (naveh 5000) for the upright (yashar 3477)."  This verse teaches that only those who live "straight" or justly  may "suitably" music new song unto the LORD.  This song is only suitable or beautiful if musiced by one who is born again.
       Psalm 40 is a song of thee redeemed for it mentions, "He brought me up out of a horrible pit' and "established my goings". Psalm 98:2 states, "The LORD hath made known his salvation ..."  Psalm 149:4 states, "...he will beautify the meek with salvation (yeshuwah 3444 signifying being saved or delivered).  So any sacred music praxis that allows those who are not born again to try to music unto God and to those who gather to worship God is a faulty praxis.  This does not mean that the church's musical praxis can not utilize outreach choirs and orchestras that include new people who do not yet know Christ in a personal way.  However, these groups are not ministering organizations but rather they are being ministered too by the church.

Prayer for the month of April

                                                                  Prayer for this blog

Lord, please allow this Music philosophy blog to be a blessing during the month of April.  Please let this blog go around the world to places where I cannot go.  Help me as I prepare a post for each day to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.  Only you know Lord who is out there ministering musically that needs a fresh anointing for musical ministry.  Help me to know which philosophical topics are important and will be a blessing.  Please anoint the blog and the blogger.  These things I ask in your name.  Amen.

Thank you for a great March

       Thank you for a great month of March.  The last month was a continuation of my new venture of getting up early and writing a new post to share with many musicians who normally do not have anyone to encourage them musically. I am aware that there are many of you out there who are consistently ministering musically week after week.  I want to personally thank you for staying on the job when sometimes no one says a word of encouragement.  I know that we joke about being like David who encouraged himself in the LORD.  However, if that is what it takes for us to stay on the job, it will be worth it when we come to the end of our musical journey.

       Since we began on January 2 we have received a total of over 5,730 page views with 1755 views in March.  The page views have come from 34 different countries.  These views have come from Australia, Belarus Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Croatia, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the USA.  Please pray with me that God will allow this Music Philosophy Blog to go places where I will never have the opportunity to minister musically.
               I am pleased and flattered that all you very busy musicians and pastors have taken the time to view my music philosophy blog.  Please continue to pray that God will guide each post and allow it to reach those who need encouragement to keep ministering for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
       The main reason that I started this Music Philosophy blog is that although there is much music philosophy information on the net, not very much of it is from a biblical perspective.  Please share the blog address with your friends.   If you have an area of music or fine arts philosophy that troubles you, please feel free to let me know and I will include it in our discussions.  My email address is Garenlwolf@gmail.com.

Thought for the day- new song part 5

If you recognize that  the direction you are going musically is out of control, try getting out of the driver's seat.

The New Song-part 5

       There are several major essentials that "new song" must have in order to qualify philosophically as biblical "new song".  First, it must be sung unto God.  The several references to new song in the Bible that we mentioned in yesterday's post definitely lead us to believe that no  new or old composition qualifies as new song unless it is performed unto God for God's glory.  Colossians 1:18 instructs us  "...that in all things he might have the preeminence." God must receive all the glory all the time if our musicing is truly biblical new song.
        When self gets in the way of our attempts to music unto God, God has to share His glory with the religious humanist who is performing.  Remember that the humanist believes that music begins and ends with the performer actualizing  self.  We are subtly instructed by most university music professors that the performer must sell self first.  mIy I am a religious humanist,  my musicing is about me and the way I perform.  All my musicing is ultimately about how well I perform MY music.  It is about MY talent, MY instrument etc.
       The quickest way that a performer can turn scared musicing into religious musicing is to place one's self in the position of preeminence.  Note that Psalm 33:3 states, "Sing unto him a new song."  Psalm 98:1,  "O sing unto the LORD a new song." Psalm 144:9, "I will sing a new song unto thee, o God."  Revelation 5:9, And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy..."  So, philosophically the Christian musician must not fail to music unto God and focus all performance on our blessed Lord.