Martin Cothran of Mermoria Press recently posted a very interesting article entitled "Can Music Save Your Mortal Soul?". In it, he explores the power that music has over us, what classic literature has to say about what we listen to, and the mistakes we often make concerning the importance of music. Here is a bit of what he had to say...Most people, I suspect, simply conclude...that it's all a matter of taste, that there really is no fixed point from which one generation's music can be said to be better than another's. And when they do this—relegate music to the less important category of things for which no verdict can be returned—they have taken the first step toward the modern tendency to underestimate the importance of music.Read more of this article here.
Picture by Hope G. Smith
2 comments:
Very interesting. I'm not sure that I totally agree with all the things he infers from his sources, but his basic points seems sound. Music and words are important.
I do get rather tired of people talking about the generation gap in music, though. I suppose it exists, but certainly not for everyone. I hope it never exists for me (with my children). I care deeply about new music, and I don't think that one style/genre defines "my" music.
Josh,
I think that the generation gap in music has more to do with nostalgia than anything else. Certain songs can take you back in time and bring memories to life, and I think that that is why "golden oldies" are so important to the older generation. It reminds them of times when they were younger and the world seemed bigger yet simpler.
For the younger generation, we like to be on the cutting edge, feeling like we are ahead of everyone else. For this reason, we embrace the new music.
Generation gaps do not have to happen, but that requires not only that adults embrace the ideas and innovations of the younger generation, but that we also learn from and appreciate the traditions and accomplishments of the ones who have come before us.
I think that failing to appreciate each other's music is part of the reason why churches are so age segregated now. Adults don't like the "new fangled" worship music and the youth can't stand those "old hymns". If both groups would recognize and appreciate the power that both styles have, the body of Christ might be a little more unified.
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