Music and Religion

When I am at home in Nashville, I attend a church that is a part of the fairly small Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denomination. While the services at Vine Street Christian Church cannot be considered fantastic venues, the presence of music within them is vital to the melding of the worship experience. At my church now, and at past churches I have attended, music is used to bring together different aspects of the service, in preparation for a new part of the service or to fill the times when a person is not speaking (such as Communion). Nothing can be too crazy or out of the norm though, the church elders would not like that. You must, of course, dress to fit the part of a church musician. Choir robes are a must. There is a sort of praise band thing at my church called The Joyful Noise, however. You know, the whole “Make a joyful noise unto the Earth” thing. They are a little, informal folk band of anyone who wants to join, who sing to and with the congregation one Sunday a month. That is pretty much the extent of non-classical or non-church music heard there.

Aesthetics wise, the music I hear at church doesn’t really affect what I find aesthetically pleasing in the music I play or hear everyday. I have separated the two different types of music into two different lives. I hear church music in my religious life and I hear classical, pop and others in my life outside of church.

Religion in general, though, is a fundamental component in my philosophy on music. I believe that each person gifted with musical skills of any sort is given that gift for a higher purpose. You may never figure out on your own what that purpose is though, I think. And that’s okay. We may have multiple musical purposes! Who knows? I guess it is all up to the way the spirit speaks to you and guides you to where you need to be on your journey.