Wednesday, June 23, 2010

music form vs substance

I recently heard an older person speaking to put down some of the more modern music because it was so electrified. Thinking back, I can't believe I was hearing this. Why can't some older people get past the form of the music to what it is saying? And I don't think this put down was just to say he didn't like it, it was to say it was bad or wrong.
I am here to affirm all of you younger musicians to keep making good music in all of its forms, electrified, acoustic, digitized, sonified, beat boxed, and any other form. God is not scared of music that awakens or expresses the passions of humans, for He is wilder and much less civilized than anyone would want to believe, and much more so than any human, excpet one, has ever been. I think that is one reason Jesus was born in a food trough in a barn; God was quite at home there and not ashamed or feeling put out or frightened at all. After all, He is the creator of the wilds of this world, and if we cannot make music that reflects our passions, we are not expressing something of the depth of the human spirit, and our music is all the more shallow for it. So electrified music is able to get at a power and passion and volume of life that acoustic music just can't do.
Right now I am listening to one of my favorite songs of all time: Sleeping Awake by POD. Electrified, yes, loud, yes, powerful, yes, worth hearing, every time.
So to you musicians, keep making good music of all kinds.
To those among us who believe the only holy music is soft and somber and acoustic, wake up. You are wrong. The bible in fact recommends music of praise with resounding cymbals. Those are loud and not everyone likes them. No where can we find the Bible saying music must be soft, but we do hear it telling us it should be loud, at least at times. And it should be skillful. God is much more interested in the heart or content of the music than the form. Period.

1 comment:

  1. Great thought, Kevin. People just need to get over it and come to the realization that its not about us, its about Jesus. Its about reflecting our passion in whatever shape or form we find most applicable to ourselves. Jesus doesn't care how we present it as long as it is humble and sacrificial. Keep doing what your doing. God is going to do great things!

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