Music and Spirituality

A very dear friend of mine mused about my Jazz program I gave at his church and innocently said something like 'I hope we see some spiritual good come out of this secular program'. As if there were some kind of great divide between secular and sacred. I want to address this briefly anecdotally, but not necessarily cursorily.

Over the past number of years I have come to understand my Jazz programs to be intensely spiritual, and moving. I suppose most serious performers realize this in some way, but it has taken on a new reality for me since I have been providing music programs for various churches. I see the way people react (in all settings) -not to me -but to the music itself. I use music backgrounds and play Trumpet, and add my own phrasing and musical comments along the score. I glance at the audience and I see smiles that come from deep within. You musicologists out there can tell me that studies have been done that show that music is processed on both sides of the brain... giving an indication that somehow the music experience affects us in ways we cannot understand, and probably reaches deep within our souls.

Having said that, it is interesting that when people hear music they like, they stop everything and 'groove' to the music. Take a look at audiences and watch what happens when they are connecting to the music. They put down the fork or coffee and start clapping in time or dancing in their seats - or jumping up and dancing. I suggest there is something mysterious (and spiritual) going on.

Ok, let's work with this for a moment. I am at a church event (usually in a hall) and people are listening to "secular" music (classic Jazz and Pop), and they are suddenly happy, and connected to the music. They are disappointed when the music stops, (and also when I don't move fast enough between pieces.) Sometimes this produces comments... like 'aww... don't stop now' at the end of my program.

Getting back to the spiritual discussion, I too had similar thoughts as my friend that you can't mix "secular" and "sacred". However my theology (Reformed) had led me to believe that everything in our lives is "sacred" - but somehow this one aspect of "securlar music" somehow escaped me and I never thought very deeply about it until I started providing Jazz for churches - my own and several others.

Here is the 'long and short' of it for me:

Since God in His sovereign wisdom created us in His image, creativity is clearly a reflection of God in us. By "common grace" God has gifted people musically and the world sees (hears) the voice of God in the deepest part of their souls. Think about this when you see someone crying (or yourself crying) at a concert where music is played that has somehow affected you in the past or in the present). It is not uncommon to see people shed tears at my Jazz programs, especially the ballads like "Misty" or "Someone To Watch Over Me"... not with superficial tears, but the kind that come out of nowhere unexpectedly. Why does this happen? I suggest it comes naturally because God has placed in all of us humans with a very sensitive "move me" button. Emotion, long denied to Evangelical "mainstream" Christians. You cannot deny the emotion. It simply flows up from somewhere inside. Your spirit.

I said in my poem about music:

The privilege is mine
To be the chauffer
Of such persuasive rhythms
That move the heart.
Then… I smile.

See the poem in full here

That poem will give you a clue about what is on my heart about this subject. Yes, I believe that music, in general, has a deeply spiritual quality. (I did not address here the negative impact that some music has on people when that music distorts the image of God and causes spiritual harm. But the starting place is the same... a heart that is somehow moved to create! I suppose another way to state my thesis is that music is inherently spiritual.

Most of my life, I have stumbled into things. I was not raised in a privileged home where music lessons were a stepping stone to wealth and fame. Nothing against that, if God has placed you there. However, in my life it seems that my musical career has been a stepping into the unknown, unguided, unplanned. And I have experienced an outlet for my natural abilities to play the trumpet (guitar, mandolin and other instruments). And in that sharing of my full soul for music, other souls are moved. That to me is the point. Making a connection spiritually, not just to the music, but the one performing. Let me illustrate. You are sitting in an audience listening to some really grooving music, and you suddenly find yourself all alone in the crowd, the musician is playing for YOU and that connection carries you beyond the moment, your surroundings, your self-awareness... and you are transported, if but for a few moments, into a place of soul soothing rest. I had one lady give me one of the greatest compliments I have ever received in my life. It was at an Assisted Living, and this dear woman was perfectly aware of her surroundings and situation in life. I played my usual playlist, knowing that people will 'like' it. But she came to me afterward and said... "you know, I was sitting there listening to you play those familiar tunes and it just enveloped my soul." This was not a church setting! Those words burn in my heart even now. By the grace of God I was able to convey to another human being something that moved her spirit. How cool is that!

I play now with a deep awareness that whatever the tune may be (e.g. "It don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing") it is "spiritual" and in some mysterious way is penetrating a cold heart and "enveloping" a soul.

test post

Logos Bible Software gave us this "Tag" to put Bible verses on the blog, and when you hover over them the Bible verse appears. This is a test entry to see if I can get it working.

Romans 6:1

"by golly" it works!! Now when I have a Bible verse to point to, all you do is hover your mouse over the verse! Cool beans!