Music:
The Silent Clincher of the Soul
How
many of you like music? How many of you listen to it on a regular basis? How
many of you realize that every time you listen to your favorite song, you are being
influenced? In studying the rhythmic talent of a one-year-old child possessing
highly developed rhythm, the following observations were made. In listening to
a rhythmic two-step song, she approached the record player with much interest
and sat clapping her hands in correct time with the music without any prompting or suggestions. A waltz was then substituted
for the two-step, and she immediately picked up the ¾ pattern. The researchers
then held her by her hands so that she stood lightly on the floor but could not
move her hands. She then marked time with her feet. To determine her further
resources, her hand and foot action were eliminated by placing her on all
fours. In this position, she immediately shimmied with Bill bodily expression
in conjunction with the beat of the music. In another clinical research project
done at the UCLA School of Nursing, premature babies gained weight faster and
were able to utilize oxygen more efficiently when they listened to soothing,
relaxing music. At the
What is music? This may
sound like a silly question, but what exactly is music? Many people have their
own ideas as to what it is. In today’s society, the static noise of
non-existent television channels is considered by some to be music. According
to Webster’s Third International Dictionary, “music” is the “science or
act of incorporating pleasing, expressive, or intelligible combinations of
vocal or instrumental tones into a composition having definite structure and
continuity.” In the Greek, “music” or “sumphonia” is
literally a “sounding together.”1 Personally, the best definition of
“music” that I’ve come across is that of composer, Roger Sessions. His
definition is simple, “music is the controlled
movement of sound in time.” Note that he said music is not just a
movement of sound in time, but that it is controlled. Controlled by whom? It’s
controlled by whomever composes the music, and the
composer can effectively make you do whatever he wants to by controlling
rhythm, dissonance, consonance, syncopation, etc.
Music has many different effects on its listeners. They can be physical, emotional, behavioral, and/or
spiritual. Let’s first take a look at the physical effects of music. In an
experiment done by Darner and Delong (1966)2, the heart rate of
those participating in the study increased when stimulating music was played
and decreased when they listened to sedated music. According to Vanderark and Ely, “several studies have indicated that music
can be associated with change of skin temperature, which is controlled by the
autonomic nervous system.”3 This was discovered in an experiment
done by “McFarland (1985) who investigated the associations of positive or
negative emotional music with finger temperature. He observed small increases
for students who listened to happy (positive) music,” but “when they listened
to negative (sad) music, the associated finger temperature was lower.”4 In
another study done at the VA Hospital in
Music also has tremendous ability to effect one’s emotions. In the late 16th century, and especially
during the 17th and 18th centuries, a musical form was
employed by German musicologists. This form incorporated a doctrine known as
the Doctrine of the Affections. Simply stated, this was the manipulation of music
to control and direct the emotions of the composer’s audience. After 1600,
composers generally sought to express in their music such emotions as sadness,
joy, hate, anger, love, and jealousy. To the musicians of that time period,
this may have been a new concept, but it is one that has been in effect at
least since the days of King Saul. We see this in 1 Sam. 16:23 where every time
“the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it …
and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit departed from
him.” Back in verse 14, we see that the evil spirit terrorized Saul. There must
have been some emotional anguish during Saul’s ordeal with this demon. However,
at the playing of a harp (which could only produce soft, mellow music), Saul
was emotionally refreshed. It’s also interesting that in verses 15 and 16,
Saul’s servants knew that a demon was terrorizing him and they were the ones
who asked his permission to seek out a musician. It’s implied that they
believed music would have some type of effect on making Saul feel better. Why
else would they have summoned a musician?
It has also been proven scientifically that music has the ability
to create emotions in a quick and powerful way. In 1994, a group of researchers did an experiment.5
They exposed 80 subjects to 8 fragments of
classical instrumental music of equal length of about 50 seconds. The music was
selected by music experts according to their emotional quality and content
(i.e., to induce feelings of happiness, they played 26 measures of two pieces
by Mussorgsky and to induce feelings of sadness, they played 50 second excerpts
of Beethoven and Chopin). The results supported the researchers
hypothesis as well as other research done on the subject – that music does influence
the emotions. An example that we all might be able to relate to is television.
At some point in our lives, we have seen a murder scene. When the music starts,
we know that something is about to happen. As the scene moves closer to the
actual event of the murder, the clashing chords get louder, the pulsating
becomes faster and faster until finally as the murderer raises his hand to kill
his victim, the music is at it’s climax – loud and dissonant – and the viewer’s
muscles are tense. Finally, when he kills his victim, the music stops, and we
find ourselves sighing in relief. This happened because it’s supposed to
happen.
Another effect of music is on our thinking and behavior. There is a chain link between music, our emotions,
will, and intellect. Since our intellect (thinking) and emotions can influence
our wills, and our wills determine our actions (behavior) – see Prov. 23:7,
it’s only logical that music can influence our behavior. Something
as simple as weather can affect our thoughts and behavior. Suicide is
high among people who live in the northern states and countries such as
Gorn showed
undergraduates a slide of a neutral-colored pen (blue or beige). While
watching, half the students heard a one-minute excerpt from Grease, while the others heard classical
Indian music. The students then rated the music (Grease was liked, the Indian music was not) and were allowed, when
leaving, to choose one of the pens to keep. Of those who had heard the Grease selection, 79 percent chose a pen of the color associated with the tune; 70
percent of the “victims” of the Indian music avoided the associated color. When
asked what influenced their choices, less than 3 percent of the students
mentioned music.6
In
another study7 by Ronald Millman and his colleagues, a supermarket’s
receipts were 38.2 percent higher when slow, easy listening music was played.
When the customers were asked about the music played, one third of the
customers did not know whether music had been playing. Twenty nine percent flat
out denied its being played! From these studies, music apparently does
influence thinking and behavior. These studies also indicate that music does
not have to be listened to in order for it to affect you – hearing it is enough!
The experts know this and that’s why they have used it in public places for the
past 50 years to increase productivity, purchases, and a peace of mind. Look at
what it did for Saul in 1 Sam. 16:23.
Having seen the power of music, we should understand that it is not
a neutral thing. Neutrality produces
neutral effects. This has not been the case with music. Music is like
television. It can be used wholesomely or destructively. Having said this, we
will now look at some of the positive uses of music. In Neh. 12:27, 46, we
see the Levites celebrating the dedication of the wall with hymns of
thanksgiving. Hymns are songs of praise to God. They usually communicate
doctrinal truths. An example of a modem day hymn is Great Is Thy Faithfulness in which God’s faithfulness is
communicated. In these verses, we see that the Levites were m accordance with
David’s command to sing songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God.
Does the music you listen to give thanks to God? Do you ever sings
songs to God that are filled with thanksgiving?
Another use of music is to praise God. Throughout the Old Testament, music is used in this
way in Psalms 27:6; 61:8 and 68:4, David states that he would sing praises to
God. To praise God is to say back to Him what is true of Him. In Psa. 92:1-4,
the psalmist sang to God in order to declare His lovingkindness, faithfulness,
and the great works of His hands! The psalmist in Psa. 105:2 says
to sing praises to God of all His wonders, and in Psa. 107:22, he says to
joyfully sing of His works. David says to sing of God’s ways in Psa. 138:5.
Moses and the Israelites sang a song to the Lord about God’s destroying the
Egyptians who were chasing them out of
There are still other ways music can be used positively. We can use it to edify or build up one another,
as seen in Eph. 5:19, which states:
“…speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody with your heart to the Lord.” “Psalms” are the sacred poems
contained in the Book of Psalms and designed to be sung with accompaniment, or
a sacred poem formed on the model of the Old Testament Psalms. “Hymns” are
songs of praise to God such as Amazing
Grace or Holy, Holy, Holy. They
usually speak of an attribute of God such as His grace or holiness. “Spiritual
songs” are songs expressing spiritual thoughts and feelings. These are more
general. Examples of these are Damaris Carbaugh’s Never Alone or Hosanna’s
Let’s move on to what is probably the most important use of music. As stated earlier, music should be used to put
ourselves and/or others in a frame of mind conducive to worshipping God in
spirit and in truth. There are many who say “that’s fine, I can do that
with my contemporary or ‘Christian’ rock music,” but let’s take a closer look.
Since God wrote the Bible through man, let’s see what type of music He had in
mind. First, observe how music of praise, worship, and thanksgiving is
described throughout the Scriptures. In Psa. 95:1, 2, the psalmist beckons the
reader to sing before the Lord with joyful singing (the phrase “shout joyfully”
here means to “sing joyfully”). We see the same description in Psa. 81:1; 98:4,
6 and 101:1, 2. In Psa. 147:1, the psalmist uses the word “pleasant” to
describe the kind of singing, thus giving us an idea of what God has in mind.
Psalm 81:2 describes the sound produced by the instruments as “sweet.” The
instruments used during this period were instruments such as harps, lutes,
flutes, timbrels, lyres, etc. It’s important to note that these were rather
quiet instruments producing a soft, pleasant, soothing sound. Psalm 98:5; Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16 also give us an
indication of what God has in mind about the sound of music. In these verses,
He describes it as melodious. So we have a basic idea of how praise/worship
music is to sound. The pleasantness of the music was conducive to the worship
of God. It should cause one’s spirit to be uplifted and peaceful; however, most
contemporary music does not do this, and “Christian” rock definitely does not!
We see music being used this way in several passages of the Old Testament. In 1
Sam. 10:5, Samuel tells Saul to go to a city where he would meet a group of
prophets coming down from a high place with musical instruments, and they were
to be prophesying. Note that the prophets had musical instruments with them. We
come across a similar situation in 2 Kings 3:15. Here Elisha, a prophet, sends
for a minstrel or musician. When the musician played, Elisha started
prophesying. What does music have to do with prophesying? In the East, the use
of music in soothing the mind is highly regarded. It appears that the prophets
used music as a means “to dispose the mind to receive the impression of”8
the Holy Spirit – i.e., prophesy. Again, the type of music that was played was
soothing and pleasant. That’s really the only type of music that can be
produced with tambourines, flutes, lyres, and harps (1 Sam. 10:5) and is a far
cry from “Christian” rock and even some of the contemporary songs. Does the
music you choose to listen to do this for you? Does it calm your mind,
preparing it for fellowship with God, or does it agitate your spirit?
As
mentioned earlier, science and research have shown that different types of
music have different effects on the mind and body. In one study,9 a comparison of the effects of
sacred and secular music on elderly people was done. The pieces played were
both instrumental and vocal, but the vocal pieces were not sung in English so
that the listeners could concentrate on the instrumental portion of the music
rather than on the lyrics. These pieces were all classical pieces. The results
of this study were interesting. Most of the participants found the sacred
selections to be more restful and evocative for thoughtfulness. What makes it
even more interesting is that the participants were unaware that they were
listening both to secular and sacred music being played. Even if one does not
believe the Bible and what it says about music, at least believe what science
and research has proven time and time again! Slow,
melodious, peaceful, pleasant music is conducive to thoughtfulness, serenity,
and quieting of our spirits so that we can have undistracted, single-minded
communion with the Lord.
What are some of the negative uses of music? One way in which music can be used negatively is to
make provisions for the flesh. By now, we should see that there should be quite a distinction between
secular music and sacred music. Today, however, the only difference seems to be
in the lyrics. There is “Christian” rap, “Christian” rock, “Christian” country,
“Christian” thrash, “Christian” hip-hop, “Christian” alternative, etc. The
musical style of each of these different genres remain
the same as its pagan counterpart. “Christian” rock is still typified by a very
loud bass guitar, sonic power, and syncopated rhythms; therefore, it can be
considered what it really is – pagan rock. And the same is true for the other
“Christian” genres. It was once said that “Christian lyrics don’t make rock
music Christian any more than Christians stealing makes stealing Christian.”
This is exactly the case for all these “new” types of Christian music. It
mimics the world and the reason so many of us want to listen to it is because
we want to use it as a “legitimate” means to get as close as possible to the
world. Because we have not yet learned how to be fulfilled in an intimate
relationship with the Lord, we revert to things that we relied upon before
becoming Christians to fill our spiritual appetites. Then we wonder why we
can’t live the kind of life that God wants us to. We wonder why we can’t
concentrate long enough to have a good Quiet Time or why we can’t sit still
long enough to pray or spend time with God. It’s partly because the music some
of us are listening to is only good for making provisions for the flesh. Our
worldly “Christian” music causes us to dwell on our worldly past, makes us
restless and fidgety, causes us to feel depressed or moody, and for some, it
even cause us to feel bored and rebellious! None of this should be surprising
because this music was designed to produce such negative emotions as these.
Over and over again, the rock composers say that they want the theme of their
music to be one of chaos, violence, rebellion, depression, hopelessness, and so
on. The use of words has little effect in doing this. The musicians use the
instrumental portion (score) of the music alone to accomplish their means. One
study showed that only 7 percent of people who listen to rock music listen to
the words – only 7 percent! So adding a couple of Christian words to the score
does not do anything for the music, and if the score is more important than the
words, and “Christian” rock mimics the score of pagan rock, then “Christian”
rock is as destructive as pagan rock. Not only am I speaking about rock, but
with any type of music. There are some classical pieces such as Ravel’s Bolero in which Ravel uses musical
rhythms to rouse a range of agitated feelings. This piece was used to heighten
the sexual tension in the movie 10.10
Another
negative use of music is to create an atmosphere
conducive to Satanic/demonic worship. In primitive cultures, music
was used to do this. Early African tribes used extended “sessions of singing,
chanting, dancing, and drumming to induce altered states of consciousness such
as frenzies and trances.”11 This rhythmic drumming is also used in
Voodoo. One Voodoo participant states: “The fundamental of Voodoo is the
manifestation of the spirit worlds through the channel of a human being. It is
necessary for the participant to be in a trance-like state to receive spirits.
This is induced by excitation brought on through the rhythm of dance, chanting
and drums…” The Voodoo participant later goes on to tell of a more malevolent
form of Voodoo, Red Voodoo, in which more powerful demons are invoked. In order
to do this, he says that they have to use more frenetic rhythms.12 This is important because the rhythm that typifies rock
music has its origins from the same African tribal music that was used to
induce these altered states of consciousness. Psychological anthropologist
Ralph Lock suggests that “certain types of drumming may produce these powerful
effects by actually driving the brain’s electrical rhythms.”13 One
neurological study actually showed that “rhythmic drumming at certain
frequencies can make the brain’s rhythms, as measured by electroencephalographs
(EEG’s), become synchronized to them. This is similar to the better known
‘photic driving’, in which rhythmically flashing strobe lights can impose their
rhythm on the brain,”14 thus causing an altered state of
consciousness. There is great potential for this to take place in those who
listen to rock music. As Christians, the only Person who is allowed to control
us is the Holy Spirit (Eph.
So far, we have seen that music is powerful and can effect us in many different ways. How can we as Christians
be sure that we are listening to and/or producing the type of music that is
most pleasing to God. Here are some questions you can
ask yourself and use as a guide:
1.
Does
it bring the glory to God that is due Him (1 Cor.
2.
Does
it cause you to think wholesome thoughts (Phil. 4:8)? Does it cause you to
think about God? Does it cause you to put your mind on things above or to have
an eternal perspective (Col. 3:2)? Does it help you to renew your mind and no
longer conform to the pattern of this world (
3.
Does
it promote positive or negative emotions? Does the music drive you to be joyful
or restless and irritated? Does the music tend to make you too emotional rather
than causing you to think sensibly? Does it cause you to rely solely on God’s
strength, or does it give you a cheap, temporary emotional thrill?
4.
Is
the theme of the song clear? Is the music so weak in its character that it
easily passes for secular music? There are many contemporary “Christian” songs
that are vague in their themes. They sound like secular music and contain no
spiritual content (if they do, it’s very little). Generally speaking, if one
has to guess at whether a song is Christian or not, chances are it’s not. Don’t
waste your time and/or money. Guard your mind and don’t fill it with garbage (2
Cor. 10:5).
5.
Does
it encourage you to think soberly, or does it cause you to dwell on your past
worldly life (2 Cor. 5:17 w/Col. 3:9b, 10; 2 Tim. 4:5)?
Does it promote carnal thinking or spiritual thinking? Does it express the
peace that should accompany the Christian life (Col. 3:15, 16)?
6.
Does
it uplift your spirit to worshipful, peaceful, and/or spiritual heights (Col.
3:16; Eph.
7.
Is
it biblically instructive (Col. 3:16)? Is the entire song biblically sound?
8.
Is
the music a stumbling block for other Christians (Rom.
9.
Is
the music predominated by rhythm or harmony? There should be a balance between
harmony, melody, and rhythm. The only element that can dominate or stand alone
is melody because melody is balanced in and of itself This
trait is what makes melody melody (“Melody” is defined by Webster’s Third
New International Dictionary as “a sweet or agreeable succession or
arrangement of sounds.”).
Hopefully,
by now, you see that music has phenomenal power! It reaches out and clinches on
to the souls of its listeners, driving them to do whatever its
been programmed to do. Don’t be fooled!
Don’t be duped by Satan into thinking that music is neutral and has neutral
results, or that you can add “spiritual” lyrics to a pagan beat and make it
spiritual music, or that God doesn’t care what type of music you listen to, as
long as you enjoy it. Whether you are aware of it or not, whether you listen to
or just hear it, music is having an effect on you. Now that you know the facts,
you are accountable. The choice is yours! What are you going to do?
1.
Merril
F. Unger and William White Jr., ed., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary
of Old Testament Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1985) 422.
2.
Sherman
Vanderark and Daniel Ely, “University Biology and
Music Majors’ Emotional Ratings of Musical Stimuli and Their Physiological
Correlates of Heart Rate, Finger Temperature, and Blood Pressure,” Perception
and Motor Skills 79 (1994): 139 1-1397.
3.
Ibid.
4.
Ibid.
5.
Claudio
Robazza et. al., “Emotional
Reactions to Music by Gender, Age, and Expertise,” Perception and Motor
Skills 79 (1994): 939-944.
6.
Anne
H. Rosenfeld, “Music, The Beautiful Disturber,” Psychology
Today 12 (1985): 56.
7.
Ibid.
8.
Matthew
Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary On The Whole Bible. 3 vols.
(Marshallton: Sovereign Grace) 1: 73, 709, 934.
9.
10.
Anne
H. Rosenfeld, “Music, The Beautiful Disturber,” Psychology
Today 12 (1985): 56.
11.
Ibid.
12.
“The
Snake the Bear.” This is taken from the INTERNET source material. The address
to this homepage is as follows:
<http://www.oocities.org/BourbonStreet/Delta/ 1159/>.
13.
Anne
H. Rosenfeld, “Music, The Beautiful Disturber,” Psychology
Today 12 (1985): 56.
14.
Ibid.