I mean... I think of the countless studies that have been done about the links music has with, well, everything. It makes us more intelligent; it brings us to tears; it has influenced political agendae.
I was a classical music major in college. Part of my thesis for grad school (didn't happen; don't want to talk about it) would have included an analysis regarding the sacred environment many composers found themselves in during the Baroque, Classical, and (somewhat) Romantic eras, yet they wrote their requiems in the most depressing of keys; rarely letting their compositions speak for the exultant libretti written for an almighty god who would be, presumably, sending them to heaven.
Although, most of them probably weren't of the belief they were going to heaven at all, which kind of makes me glad I didn't write that thesis...
Anyway, sacred or secular, music, even crappy music, can have amazing effects on people. It can also have gnarly effects on other animals and plants. If a song moves you to feel, or to think, or even to do nothing, it's doing its job. It sucks to have to face reality sometimes, but I'd rather do it through a well-done piece of music.
Great. Now you got me listening to Mozart's Requiem, which brings out pretty much every emotion I possess.
I was a classical music major in college. Part of my thesis for grad school (didn't happen; don't want to talk about it) would have included an analysis regarding the sacred environment many composers found themselves in during the Baroque, Classical, and (somewhat) Romantic eras, yet they wrote their requiems in the most depressing of keys; rarely letting their compositions speak for the exultant libretti written for an almighty god who would be, presumably, sending them to heaven.
Although, most of them probably weren't of the belief they were going to heaven at all, which kind of makes me glad I didn't write that thesis...
Anyway, sacred or secular, music, even crappy music, can have amazing effects on people. It can also have gnarly effects on other animals and plants. If a song moves you to feel, or to think, or even to do nothing, it's doing its job. It sucks to have to face reality sometimes, but I'd rather do it through a well-done piece of music.
Great. Now you got me listening to Mozart's Requiem, which brings out pretty much every emotion I possess.
Nolite te bastardes carborundorum.
