A Case about Music
By: Geo (December 13th, 2007)During my long break from the Soul Café, I took time to catch up with my friends and acquaintances online. I also heard a lot of good music on You Tube. I was really amazed by the variety of good music that was now available even in the Christian music field. Internet has changed many things. One field that has seriously benefited by the advent of the Internet is “music”.
Music industry used to be the monopoly of a few production houses and big labels, but it is no longer so. The cheap distribution that internet allows has made survival a basic issue even for the biggest banners. The developments in digital recording and more importantly in digital reproduction in the post-napster era have led to an explosion of creativity. Millions of amateurs have emerged who have contributed to all genre, sub genre and micro genre of music and most importantly these amateurs share their music online. Off late single song releases are gaining popularity over album releases. The motto is to make buying of music so affordable that people do not think about stealing it and rightly so.
Thinking about it, it’s not just the music in the albums and solos that has undergone a change. Music is increasingly used for therapeutic purposes. Also the relationship between military and music is not new, however, its role in the entertainment, morale and parades of the troops is much more extensive than before. Movies use dozens of sound scores and using latest audio technology, the impact of the presentations is heightened exponentially. Even seats are made to vibrate! A psychological game is attempted on the audience using the scores methodically. The impact of music is so deep that, in horror films, gory scenes can be substituted by eerie sounds and music. Ordinary everyday life is so bland in comparison to all these because it is missing these sound effects and people use various means to complement it. Some sink into the mp3 music playing into their ears, others go back to the movies and more movies. FM Radio has resurrected. The increasing appearance of DJs in the social circuits speaks about increasing demand of customization of music for enhanced stimuli. The demand is so great that many DJs have assumed celebrity status! The parties and raves which are baptized in music have also become widespread.
On one of the forums on Orkut I went ahead on this topic of music and this is how it went:
Me: Should we be choosey about the music we hear?
Kevin: Well…if what we are talking about here is “Music”….then there’s no harm with any kind of music….coz its just music played with instruments!!! Nothing should stop us from listening to any music that we like. It’s just music!
Me: No. “It is music” and therefore I am a little more serious about this thought. If we were discussing about some discourse or talk, I would agree with you fully. I would say that nothing should stop us from listening to any talk that we like. But this is music, so we better be careful what we listen to.
Kevin: Why? What’s different about music that you hold up your planks?
Me: Music is very powerful. It is more than instruments coming together to make sound. Music has the ability to inevitably tap the still, mysterious deep well of our emotions. These feelings are gripping - often irresistible - and seem to emerge from nowhere. These feelings color our moods, affect our perceptions and generate a behavioral pattern. The indisputable fact about music is its power to evoke emotions. Is there anyone, for whom, music is completely emotion-neutral?
Kevin: Come on. Everyone time I listen to music, I am not having an emotional roller coaster. Many times, it is just playing in the background. It doesn’t go so deep down and stir up my emotions.
Me: I agree. Music produces various emotional responses in different individuals and even different responses in the same person at different times. It may produce expressions of various emotions - peaceful, relaxing, exciting, festive, boring, unsettling, non-stimulating, invigorating, violent… and so on. The impact of music on the performers themselves is of the highest degree, especially those who are professionals. Did you know that during a 1993 Oprah Winfrey interview, Michael Jackson, explained the reason for some of his filthy sexual gestures during his concerts? He said: “It happens subliminally. It’s the music that compels me to do it. You don’t think about it, it just happens. I’m slave to the rhythm.” Somewhere else he said, “When I hit the stage it’s all of a sudden a ‘magic’ from somewhere that comes and the spirit just hits you, and you lose control of yourself.” Angus Young of AC/DC says, “…it’s like I’m on automatic pilot. Someone else is steering me - I’m just along for the ride. I become possessed…” Such an experience is not just limited to secular music. It’s even an experience of Christian singers. Sandi Patti, one of the highest paid Christian singers once said, “I know this is going to sound a little weird, but many times when I’m onstage I feel that I’m kind of a third party to the whole thing, just standing back and watching what’s going on. I feel that the Lord is singing through me…”
Kevin: You mean to say that music plays us and it’s not us who are playing music?
Me: Well, in a way, that is the fact. Did you know that the word “Music” comes from the word “Muse”? Muse means to reflect, ponder or think!!! Music makes us think. It plays with our mind in a way that is very different. Music is not just a pattern or sounds and tones; it infiltrates and makes people think. Accept it or not, music has it way with its listeners.
Kevin: I think you are overrating music?
Me: Have you noticed that most social revolutions have ridden on music? Beatles brought in a youth revolution that really took the world by storm and so much was their influence that John Lennon claimed that Beatles were now more famous than Jesus Christ! Every generation has had its own style and genre of music that it relates to and rides on, a style of music that it champions.
Kevin: It’s mainly the youth who are involved with music and they are always coming with newer and newer stuff and so if appears as if they are creating a social revolution and all that. Really is it all that you are making it to look like right now?
Me: Music is created not just in the bosom of the youth, though they are ones who are predominantly involved. Music in the west has political under and over tones. Political statements are made in music and this greatly influences the inclinations of the youth. The role of music in the military is not new knowledge. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry warns that many recent trends among the teens and youths especially in the US are a result of the music that they listen to!
Kevin: Wait, wait. In such cases, it is not just the music, but the words that carry these messages.
Me: Yes and what are the messages conveyed especially through many of the rock songs including the top albums promoted by big banners? These songs are advocating and glamorizing abuse of drugs and alcohol, suicide is being presented as an “alternative” or “solution”, the portrayal of violence is graphic, the lyrics show a preoccupation with the occult; songs about Satanism and human sacrifice, which are followed up by the apparent enactment of these rituals in concerts and they glorify sex which focuses on controlling sadism, masochism, incest, devaluing women, and violence toward women.
Kevin: I have noticed it but it’s only a few handful of albums and artists that do that. It’s true but I still feel that we shouldn’t out rightly generalize against any genre of music. It is the songs that we should be choosey about? You should be asking whether we should be choosey about the songs that we listen to. Music is neutral.
Me: I agree that we should be choosey about the songs for sure, and that music is neutral, but any music can be used to create emotions in us. What do you think about western classical music? It has no words but it has made legends out of Mozart and Beethoven.
Kevin: Who listens to that any more?
Me: Maybe, but I was just trying to convey the power of music. Its impact and influence should never be underplayed. What about rock and rap?
Kevin: What about rock and rap? They are the best kind of music played right now on this planet.
Me: How many words in a given rock or rap song does an average youth understand? I am not delving into heavy metal and death metal and genres like that.
Kevin: You are assuming that youths don’t understand. I get the scripts of the song I like and I do sing along.
Me: How many youths will do that exercise? After repeatedly listening to it, they might catch some of the words, but on the whole, other than a part of the song, most people have no clue of what the song is about. And if you read most of these songs, it’s difficult to understand what they are trying to convey. Whenever they do convey, they convey it on themes I cited earlier.
Kevin: But the music is really good and the music some of these bands produce is very difficult to emulate.
Me: Yes, it is very popular and all around in eateries, malls, super markets, cars and even cell phones, these heady beats and music can be heard. Even the spiritual market has not been spared! Of all the religions that have been affected by these changes in the music world, the Christian music scene has actually seen a revolution! Some of the Christian songs sound like any other song without even the smallest trace of Christian connotations.
Kevin: And vice versa. I mean, some of the secular songs can be sung in the church too! Or at least, they can be sung to Jesus! In fact, there was a romantic song that I used to listen to. It was not rock or rap. But the music and the words were so good that I couldn’t stop humming the tune for days! And I hummed it in dedication of no one else but Jesus. I felt very good and I am pretty sure Jesus felt the same way too!
Me: I don’t know which song you hummed but in the light of the understanding I have about Jesus, I am sure that Jesus was not very interested.
Kevin: Give me a break. How do you know at all? He told you?
Me: If you had hummed your own song, however musically detuned and obscure, Jesus would have danced to it. It just like the way I would react to someone I love writing a song for me. It may not be the best of songs, but the emotions and joy that it can create in me will be greater than what the best song can give me.
Kevin: I can understand what you are trying to say. Is it still unwise to listen to the soundtrack of the songs that I like without the words? That way I can hear good music and avoid the influence to a great extent since the words are absent.
Me: You are still undermining the influence of music itself. I don’t know what else I can say to let you know how powerful just the music without the words is.
Kevin: There may not be too much of a problem listening to some of the sound tracks. After all there is always something to learn and appreciate.
Me: Now listen to this. Music can recreate emotions and get the listeners involved with the artist’s emotions.
Kevin: Can you explain that?
Me: Music, can recreate the emotions that it was born in, or the emotions that it initially caused in the artist and together with words, the impact is great.
Kevin: So what’s the harm? That’s what it is supposed to do, right? If any music can’t do that, I think that music is ineffective.
Me: Well, that’s the problem. Many of the songs (and music), especially in rock and rap, are born in the minds of people who are led by the fleshly desires. People who are in no way trust worthy as friends. You can’t socially associate with them. I mean, for example, you can’t trust your children with them. Most of these people are addicts, promiscuous, egomaniacs, self centred and often are involved in many of the socially unacceptable activities. It is in the midst of such a lifestyle,when they are going through wild emotionally tumultuous times, that they pen their songs and compose their music!
Kevin: So you mean to say, similar emotions are recreated in the listeners!
Me: Don’t you see the impact of such music on the youths? The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has found that people continuously listening to Rock and Rap music which often contain seriously destructive themes often undergo a change in their behavior. Some of them become loners, some become depressed and still many others get into alcohol and drug abuse. Rap and alternate Rock music has also been found to be responsible for violence, and that’s not just at the concerts.
Kevin: This way, we cannot listen to any music at all. Maybe, I should become a recluse and go into some jungle so that I don’t come under the influence of anything.
Me: Everybody is under the influence of somebody all of the time. I heard this in a song by Cliff Richard years ago.
Kevin: But did not Cliff Richard sing another song which says that ‘Why should the devil have all the good music?’
Me: Yeah I have heard that. That reminds me. Many times before the release, some of these music and songs are dedicated to powers/gods or to some cause or to “Satan” himself . The buyer or listener is totally unaware about such an occurrence. They innocently cradle these same songs in their mind and hearts, often going through similar emotions that this song was supposed to generate. So what are they doing in their innocence? They are cradling words and music dedicated to the enemy of God…!!
Kevin: But these people are not doing it knowingly.
Me: So? Ignorance of where it has come from does not make them immune to its impact. Just as ignorance of a traffic law cannot help you escape the fine, similarly, this ignorance also will not help them or anyone for that matter. It may perhaps let them escape a punishment from God, but that kind of music does it work and creates strong holds and bondages that may take a long time to recover from.
Kevin: How much care can we take? It seems every time we listen to any music or song, we will have to do a full fledged research on the songs, the band, the situations in which the songs were made and what not?!
Me: If you can, you should? (Laugh) But actually it is not so complicated. I will tell you what I did. I just plainly have stopped listening to songs other than gospel songs. There was a time I used to listen to every kind of song that was released in the market. Most of these were love songs and I saw that my thoughts were being formed and drawn in that direction. I ended up in trouble and sin. I cut them off and the release was not immediate but sure.
Kevin: What about the film songs? Not all film songs are love songs?
Me: Yeah. Not all film songs are love songs. But most songs are about it. Most of these songs are glorifying romance, singing about the lover in worship of him/her, praising her looks and body, and similar. Now there maybe no harm in listening to some of the love songs too per se but when you listen to these songs continuously, you will find that you are never able to escape the thought patterns glorified by these songs. You might not fall in love, but you will never be able to escape lust nor will you be able to control your thoughts. These songs will form for you a thought pattern, a lens through which you will start looking around. As Solomon says in Proverbs, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Kevin: But it’s so boring listening to gospel music and songs all the time?
Me: I thought so too. But I think we should make judgments based on the fruits, the final outcome. I listen to songs that glorify the Creator and these have only made me a better person, not just in my behavior and character but also in my integrity and honesty. Moreoever, there are a lot of good gospel songs coming out now, with good music! Songs that speak your heart and touch deep within. The devil is not having all the good music.
Kevin: I still don’t understand the need to stop listening to every kind of music other than gospel music.
Me: Well that’s what I have done. I may not stand on a stage and preach it though I will definitely advice it. I have understood that music can pervade our innermost being and also play with our emotions. Therefore we should be very careful as trustees of God’s trust upon us about what we allow into the sanctum sanctorum of our soul and being. Also in comparison to what God deserves, my not listening to all this music is a very small price. I think every person should think and analyse the impact that music is having on them, their thoughts and their life and make their own decision.
Kevin: But tell me, isn’t God the Source of all the music?
Me: Yes. He is the source of everything. That’s why I am sure I will listen to music which is many times more wonderful than what I am not listening to right now. But the Bible also says that the archangel Lucifer, now called the devil was created as a great musician himself. So music is also his domain and therefore, we have to be choosey about the kind of music we listen to.
I am sure that if I had continued chatting on the topic, we could go on and on and bring up more and more issues about music. So we decided to call it quits. Kevin had understood the impact of music and decided to drastically cut down on what he was listening to. I am sure, that would do him a lot of good. But I shouldn’t be ending this without highlighting a principal reason for youths coming under the influence of music. Most parents are concerned about what their young children see and hear, but as they grow older, parents pay less attention to the music and videos that hold their children’s interest. Music is a major part of a teenager’s separate world and so it is quite common for teenagers to get pleasure from keeping adults out of this world. But parents should keep a watch on their purchasing, listening and viewing habits and help them. One thing is sure: there definitely is a certain kind of music only that should rise unto God. Music of the heart, unscathed by any worldly influence…just plain soul cry.