Music Moves Me

The power of music is absolutely beyond my comprehension. Music has the power to stir the emotions unlike any other form of communication. Music can cause you to recall a memory out of nowhere. It can make you cry, bring a smile to your face, or even make you feel anxious. Even some of the simplest forms of music have these effects on people.
Music seems to be a lot about feelings. Feelings are said to be temporary, worldly, and selfish things, upon which we cannot rely. But music is also spiritual. The Bible speaks of music in the Old Testament and in the New, stating that there is music in Heaven. Music is timeless. I am not saying that all styles of music are timeless, but that music itself, because of the significance God has given it, will never be unneeded. We will always need music, we will always use music, and we will always want music.

As we were analyzing Gregorian chant in class with Dr. B, I was thinking about the timelessness of music. Though the “style” of chant (I use that loosely) is simple, it is still meaningful. The pieces he showed us were characterized by stepwise motion, with very few leaps. If you were to actually analyze many of the most popular melodies throughout history, you would find that same trend. Stepwise motion is easy to remember; it is catchy. This is not necessarily why monks used this kind of writing in music, but it is still a method that is used today, which is very interesting. Some things just work in music. Some things just do not work. I will not attempt to convey, in this very short post, my opinion about different styles of music. I will also refrain from stating how utterly far some things (I will not call it music) - like heavy metal - are from the true definition of music. However I suppose there is an argument there for that “stuff” having spiritual implications…these would just be for the wrong side, of course.

The most important thing I am trying to convey here is that music, as it stands in itself (not a style) is essential to life. Studies repeatedly prove that music improves brain development in the young child, and that people who listen to music live healthier, more “fulfilled” lives. This is no surprise to me as a Christian. As I said before, music is in the Bible. This may sound like a “Sunday School” answer, but it is true. Music moves me, and I am so glad that God has given it to us.