Thought for the day-Rock-Part 8

Thought for the day-Rock-Part 8

If I was Satan I would try to get Christians involved in listening to rock music at some level.  As soon as they were, I would have effectively silenced almost all the objections to religious rock music from Christians.

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 8

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won’t Go Away?-Part 8

       At this point. If I was Satan, I would be able to hook a great host of Christian musicians into caving in to, at least partially, getting involved with this very complicated musical development.  If I was Satan, I would proceed very slowly and carefully with conservative Christian musicians.  I would not be credulous enough to believe that I could change their musical tastes quickly.  I would probably bypass a generation or two of Christian musicians who have studied music history, theory and literature very carefully.  I would most definitely bypass those who had studied the history of church music and music in the Bible.

       If I was Satan, I would get conservative Christian musicians so busy that they would not take time to chat size their children musically.  I would tempt their children to weary their parents into allowing them to listen and perform rock music.  Once I had their children hooked on rock music, I would tempt the children to become much more bold with their demands to perform rock music in Christian schools, Christian colleges and in church. 

        If I was Satan, I would know that once these permissive Christian’s children were deeply involved with rock music that I would have, for all intensive purposes, silenced almost all objections to religious rock music.  If I was Satan I would not worry about these Christian parent’s campaigns about the extremes of secular rock music because, I would know that these vocal outbursts about “Satanic” rock music would keep these naïve permissive Christian parents form dealing with the real issue—Religious rock music.

       If I was Satan, at the same time that I was working with children of Christian parents, I would be very busy with the general population of Christians who were more unaware musically.  I would work most with those who had never been catechized musically by the church or Christian school and had never developed a Christocentric bible based music philosophy. 

       If I was Satan, my long range master plan would be to get all Christians to get involved with rock music at “some level”.  I would not start first with actual rock music, but I would try getting all Christians to involve themselves with rock music’s “first cousins”.  If I was Satan, I would concentrate on Christian’s getting involved in mainstream country music (the sexy highly rhythmically controlled type), jazz, techno pop music, reggae, ska, etc. etc. etc.  The reason I would concentrate on the multitude of “first cousin styles” is that these styles of music are a major part of rock music’s current amalgamation.

Quote for the day-Rock-Part 7

Quote for the day-Rock-Part 7

The average church member is inundated with rock music and has been inundated all or most ofhis or her life.  Since the 1950’s, rock has permeated Western society.”  Contemporary Christian Music in the Spotlight by David W. Cloud, p.11.

 

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 7

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won’t Go Away?-Part 7 

        If religious music begins and ends with self, then this Christian’s music is autonomous because, when it comes to music and musicing, all his or her music endeavor is an autonomous act.   An autonomous musician owns all his or her acts of worship, because autonomous actions are personal offerings that are brought to the worship altar as an act of that musician’s free will.  This philosophical mind set is somewhat complicated, but it is the basis for many church musicians’ music praxis.

        What is even more complicated is the fact that when you own your musical offerings, they are yours and therefore they are not subject to any musical or worship standards, rules, regulations, or religious dogmas.  So, this autonomous musician does not have to have any discussible justification for the inclusion of rock music in his or her worship, or religious music praxis.

       Steve peters once wrote, “Few want to touch rock “n” roll because many listen to it and enjoy it at some level”.   Truth About Rock by Steve Peters, p.82.  He certainly touched a tender nerve even among conservative Christian musicians.  I have traveled extensively in the past forty years, and I can verify that many Christian musicians, who are conservative in many areas of Christian living, are not so conservative when it comes to their personal music choices.  Many Christian musicians that I have met in my travels like, listen, and even perform rock music at “some level”.

       If I was Satan, I would tempt Conservative Christians to get involved with rock music at some “mild” level.  I would first get them to develop a taste for the styles of music that amalgamated to become rock.  The younger generation Christian musicians seem to believe that rock music “fell from the sky” and that it does not have connections to very close “first cousins” that were very influential in the development of the multiplicity of rock styles that exist today. 

       If I was Satan, I would develop a very large family of closely related style “cousins” and I would get them together somehow for a “family reunion” in the hope that they would stay together and develop a conglomerate of closely related styles.  If I was Satan, the reason that I would desire to see this amalgamation or styles develop is that this plethora of styles, techniques, sounds, stereotyped rhythm patterns, clichéd melodic structures, and performance techniques would create artistic musical conglomerate that would appeal to almost everyone. 

 

Quote for the day-Rock-Part 6

Quote for the Day-Rock-Part 6

“Music can feed the flesh or the Spirit.  It can promote carnality or spirituality.”  Contemporary Christian Music under the Spotlight by David C. Cloud p. 9.

 

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 6

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won’t Go Away?-Part 6

       The musical performance style can actually belie the truth presented by the text of the music.  So, the juxtaposition of the truth of the Bible, that the musician is trying to present to an audience, with overly tense vocal production above or below the pitch, will actually hinder the textural message.  This is not to say that no truth will get past a faulty performance practice.   However, it seems odd to me that Christian musicians are determined to encumber the gospel message with the vocal performance practice with which they present the music.  To me, it is like removing the lug nuts that hold the tires on your car with a pair of pliers—pliers may help you get your flat tire removed, but they are definitely not the right tool for the job!  Garlock and Woetzel  have concluded the matter quite well, “Having discovered very early in this book that music is not merely a matter of preference and taste, we must now conclude from the evidence that the style is all-important, not in the world’s philosophy of relativism.  The style itself reflects and projects a philosophy.”  Music in the Balance, By Frank Garlock & Kurt Woetzel, pp. 99-100.

       The original history of the terminology “rock and roll”, which is a euphemism for the act of sexual intercourse, has been borrowed from jazz’s (originally unwritten) etymological dictionary of pornographic words.  It is of little wonder that this music with a driving incessant propelling directionality has been used as a concomitant to lyric texts that convey a sexual message.  No one that I know of, except Christian musicians, denies that rock music lends itself to being highly sexual.  Secular rock musicians believe that this music sends a strong sexual message and they, of course, do not have any problem with rock’s ability to do so. 

       Religious rock enthusiasts and performers categorically deny that rock has the power to say, represent, convey, transmit, or communicate anything at all.  In order to justify the use of rock music alone or with a sacred text, they must subscribe to the “it is benign” theory.  The benign theory purports that the music part of all rock music is nonthreatening, harmless and neutral in its effect.  It is sort of a kinder, gentler, benevolent, no harm done musical philosophy that leads them to the faulty conclusion that all music is good because it all comes from God.  For those Christian musicians who do not believe the “God made all music” theory, a religious but humanistic approach works best.

Thought for the day-Rock-Part 5

Thought for the day-Rock-Part 5

Many Christian musicians avoid quality vocal performance techniques as though they are ungodly musical practices that will hinder the  message of the Gospel. 

What Do We Do Now that Rock Won't Go Away?-Part 5

What do We Do Now that Rock Won’t Go Away?-Part 5

        When a vocal soloists performance style allows scooping up to pitches, breathy unvocal sounds, purposefully delayed vibrato (or purposefully no vibrato), the result is without doubt “uncertain” sound.  As Dr. Frank Garlock has often taught in his Symphony of Life Seminar, breathing heavily into a microphone immediately places the musician in the listener’s “intimate zone”—a place that the Christian vocalist does not belong!.  I have said for years that scooping up to pitches is not a compatible vocal technique with the truth and constantness of the gospel. What I am saying is that the way we music unto God sends messages to our audience.

        When a vocalist initiates pitches without the use of vibrato, the sound produced creates two illusions.  First, the sound will either be or seem to be under or above the pitch.  The initial sound produced will leave the impression on the mind that the sound is not “true”, constant, or certain.  Second, this initialized sound creates undue tension in the sound, because the listener does not have to have an earned doctorate in vocal pedagogy to hear that the sound produced is too tense and not exactly on pitch.

        As a voice instructor of many years, I find it hard to concentrate on the spiritual message when I know that the vocalist has placed great tension on the arytenoid and cricoid cartilages that control the vocal folds. (This vocal technique is one of the chief reasons for the development of vocal nodes that often require laser surgery.)  It is my strong philosophical belief that the comfort and rest of the message of the gospel should be certain, constant good news and should sound like “good news”, and that any musical technique that distracts from this message should be avoided by Christian musicians.

Prayer foir this Blog in October

      Prayer for This Blog in October
         Lord, please allow this Music philosophy blog to be a blessing during the month of October.   I want to thank you my precious Father for those faithful followers of this project who continue to pray for me and read from month to month.  Please let this blog go to continue to 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 and devotional topics are important and will be a blessing.  Lord, will you help me as I prepare some posts on the subject of musical creativity. 
         Please comfort my dear friend and his wife and daughter who lost their son and brother in September.  Also Lord, I am asking  You  to impress upon the minds of those around the world who are reading this blog prayer to remember them in prayer during the entire month of October.  
        Thank you my heavenly father for the fall flowers and the bushes that are already turning beautiful colors.  The October colors always remind me that you have seen us through another spring and hot summer. I am also asking You to place a special blessing upon all those out there who are ministering for you. These things I ask in your name.  Amen.

 

Thank You for a Great September

       Thank you for a great month of September.  
Again, the month included a mixture of Music Philosophy posts and posts of a devotional nature.  Although these posts were often concerned with the spiritual life of the Christian musician, I have often entwined music philosophy into these discussions.  It is my prayer that the various discussions have stimulated your thinking.  
       I want to give thanks to God who has made it possible for me to share my thoughts on music in many countries around the world.  We just finished our ninth month of posting every day.   It has been the aid of the Holy Spirit that has kept me going during these busy times this summer.  Now it is fall season in Ohio, and it is often too beautiful to stay inside and write.  So, please pray for me that I will receive the dunamis of the Spirit to write effectively.  
       Since we began on January 2 we have received a total of over 15,000 page views with a little over 1,400 page views in September.  The page views have come from 55 different countries.  These views have come from Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands, China , Croatia, Denmark, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan ,Kenya, Latvia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, South Korea,  Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand,  Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and U.S.A .   New countries added in the month of September were Puerto Rico and Fiji. 
        The top ten countries with page views were, from most to least, USA, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, China, Philippines, France, and Serbia. Please continue to pray with me that God will allow this Music Philosophy Blog to continue go places where I will never have the opportunity to minister musically. 
       Again I want to thank all you busy pastors, ministering musicians, music educators and other interested Christians who have taken the time in the month of September 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.