In recent years, there has been a tremendous amount of controversy regarding what kind of music is suitable for listening, especially for people who are trying to live a Godly life. This controversy has arisen, in part, because of rapid advances in technology which have made it possible to produce sounds which never existed before, and also because it has become possible to create faster and more complex rhythms. This essay provides a few guidelines intended to help people choose what music is suitable for themselves and their children.
Possibly the most important aspect of music, which determines to a great extent just how wholesome it is for anyone to hear, is INTENTION. When looking to the Bible, we can find passing references to worldly and holy music. Worldly music is intended for sheer enjoyment. On a deeper level, worldly music can also be used to enhance anything which is not good for us, meaning sins. Holy music is always intended to be uplifting to the listener, and to put everyone willing to be uplifted, into a pattern of thought which will bring them closer to God. A lot of music falls somewhere in between, being all right for people but not necessarily inspiring. Interestingly enough, ancient holy music has been found, through extensive research and testing, to be good for bodily health as well.
SOUNDS
After humans were created, we grew up with certain natural sounds
in the environment. These included thumps on trees or other objects,
wind
whistling through reeds, and strings being plucked. From these came the
first
instruments, generally drums, flutes, and harps. Of course the
development of
various instruments is a complex study all to itself, but it is
accurate to say
that all other instruments in one way or another evolved from these
three. We
can rest assured that sounds which are close to these natural sounds
will tend
to be more relaxing, and that the more a sound diverges from these
natural
sounds, the more irritating it may be.
In recent years, since about 1850, we
have been subjected to an increasing number of machine sounds which
were not
part of God's original natural environment. As these sounds have come
into our
consciousness, many composers have integrated them into music. This
might be a
way to attempt to handle the upsets these sounds cause on a social
level. By
putting these unnatural, disruptive sounds into music, we can perhaps
justify
their existence in our world, no matter how irritating they may be.
MELODY
Deeper analysis of music shows other characteristics which can
determine whether or not something is suitable for listening. Melody is
extremely important. In ancient times, several disciplines developed
which
organized various possible melody patterns into classifications which
would
determine time of day, season, and health effects of music. These arose
in
every part of the world. In India,the Raga system was built up, which
organizes
over 80,000 different patterns into very specific uses. This system is
a
lifetime study in itself, and has proven much too complicated for most
musicians
to use effectively. Similar systems were put together in Japan and
China, but
are not used much today in those regions. Much Middle Eastern music is
based on
India's Raga system, with a significant loss of knowledge concerning
the
original purposes of each scale.
In Europe, around 650 B.C., Pythagoras
constructed a simple and easily usable system of music. He taught this
in a
religious school on the island of Sicily which lasted for about 900
years. While the religious doctrines taught in this school have mostly
been long
forgotten, the musical system has proven so workable, that it is still
used
today as the basis for most European and American music. It was first
used on
the harp. Pythagoras used seven modes, or scales, around which all
melodies can
be constructed. Each of these seven modes had a special purpose, and
current
research indicates that these modes still affect people on a physical
level just
as they were said to do in ancient times. Two of the modes are
dangerous and
should only be used for limited purposes. In fact, one has been
associated with
serious mental illness when used too much by any musician. The rest are
always
safe to use.
The old institutional church of Europe decided to destroy all
music used within the Roman Empire, because it was associated with such
wickedness. They did, however, keep the Pythagorean system intact, and
around
500 A.D. set up strict rules for the usage of this system. This
resulted in two
modes, which are called major and minor scales, coming down to us in
modern
times. The system was further modified by Johann Sebastian Bach, in
order to
allow many instruments to harmonize together. Now, many musicians are
experimenting with the other modes, since the institutional church
rules have
largely been forgotten. Since much of this experimentation is
completely out of
the original context, listeners should be a bit cautious.
It would be good
for more musicians to know about the original Pythagorean system, and
its uses. This material is contained in a separate document on this web
site, called
7 KEYS TO HEALTH.
RHYTHM
Here is a fascinating field of study in itself. Every piece of
music has a rhythm, which drives it along through time. Different types
of
rhythms are easy to tell apart. Each pattern has a particular physical
effect. There are a few rhythms which have been proven by extensive
research and testing
to have a bad effect on the human body. From a Christian perspective,
two are
of special concern.
The first is commonly called the "Heavy Metal"
beat. It is found most often within that genre of music, but can be
detected in
many other types as well. Some Country, Easy Listening, and even Gospel
music
can be found to be infected with this beat. The basic pattern is a
reverse of
the human heartbeat, and goes thump-thump-THUMP. You can hear it in its
purest
form in the song "We Will Rock You" by Queen, which has often been
played at American sporting events.
This beat actually causes physical
muscle weakness in the body of anyone who hears it. Many researchers,
including
myself, have proven this since the original data came out in the late
1970's. It doesn't matter what kind of music contains it. The bad
effect will always
occur. So why does anyone listen to this in the first place? We could
call it
the "roller coaster" phenomenon. When this beat is heard, the body
reacts a little bit, and it can feel a bit thrilling. Once in a while,
this is
probably not bad. But if one were to listen to music built around this
beat all
the time, symptoms of psychosis would set in. It's just like being
stuck on
that roller coaster -- it's fun for a while, but being on the ride for
too long
is a miserable experience.
Another beat pattern which should be mentioned is
called "Legba". While not as damaging as the "Heavy Metal"
beat, it can cause some problems if it is used too often, and if its
potential
effect is not recognized. You will find this beat in many places, but
most
easily in much of Chuck Berry's music. It has been associated with
sexual sins. (Note the pattern of Mr. Berry's legal troubles over many
years.) You also
find it in a lot of Brazilian music, and occasionally in other genres.
As a
demonstration, it was used in the song of that title on my own album
"Balance
Within" -- and you will notice that it is in a particular context,
between
two other dance pieces which serve to modify the effect of the beat.
BEST LISTENING CHOICES
Almost all of Classical music has been proven
through many decades of experience, to be good for the human body. Many
works
were also composed specifically for religious purposes, and any of
these are
absolutely acceptable for Christian family and individual listening.
There are
only a very few exceptional pieces within the body of Classical music
which are
not good for people, and these can be counted on your hands.
Since Gospel
music in general is composed with the intention of glorifying God, much
of it
should also be suitable for listening. However, over the past 30 years
there
has been some tendency for a few Gospel artists to imitate more worldly
forms of
music. This is a great concern for many ministers. There has always
been some
interplay between worldly and Christian music, with influences crossing
over on
both sides. But music which is too influenced by purely secular forms
such as
Heavy Metal can create an atmosphere that produces some weakness of
faith. This
has been noted by many pastors, and we should pay attention to their
warnings.
Since
about 1975, there has been an emergence of a musical form called "New
Age". Most of it is instrumental, and it can be good listening.
Discernment is
necessary with any of this. The term "New Age" was imposed by the
music industry, and may have been an attempt to make it unacceptable to
many
people in the general public. Actually, a more accurate term, which
should have
been applied a long time ago, is "Extended Classical". In most of
this music, the Pythagorean system has been retained, or a careful
application
of Raga principles from India has been made. It legitimately is an
extension of
the same principles that produced all of European and American
Classical music
-- extending it by including influences from folk music from anywhere
in the
world, and into electronic technology for recording and performance.
While some
of it does indeed link up with the New Age spiritual movement, which is
a
terrible influence for any good Christian, the majority is simply the
work of
people who sincerely are trying to create something beautiful and
wholesome. Extended Classical thus provides a good counterbalance to
popular music when
used for family listening.
Absolute rules for musical consumption are
difficult to develop. Hopefully the guidelines provided by this essay
have
clarified some of the essential issues facing all of us in these
turbulent
times. Elsewhere on this web site, there are reviews of specific pieces
which
may prove helpful: Music Reviews Section.
For a
more detailed article on musical characteristics and health, which
explains some
of the specific research methods used, go to Music
and
Natural Resonance