Music and Religion

[jdspc]

I do not have children...I do not want them.
But I have a direct affect on their outcome.

My job is to teach them music...I feel this as a huge endeavor...

Where does a music teacher stop at defining spiritual perceptions and should I teach experience based revelations?

Music is the most basic non-denom and I find it most taxing to eliminate my beliefs while teaching what is real, in music...



Do you see my quandary?
(ask if you do not)

[thegamerslink]

I'm missing what your asking I think.....what age group do you teach I guess would be my first question. A large difference in what you say and show to a 1st and 2nd grader versus teaching band in high school.

[jdspc]

All ages...well 8y/o and up...

edit: This is all private...

[jabo]

back when i was 8 years old and was still active in religious activities, they would teach us church music. I don't know if it was the age factor or I wasn't really just interested but all I learned was to sing church songs, I may sing the lyrics and all but only sing it, understand and feel it, nope, not even close. but I think that its great what you are doing.

[jdspc]

Originally Posted by jabo

back when i was 8 years old and was still active in religious activities, they would teach us church music. I don't know if it was the age factor or I wasn't really just interested but all I learned was to sing church songs, I may sing the lyrics and all but only sing it, understand and feel it, nope, not even close. but I think that its great what you are doing.

Yer right...

Give a cowboy a rope
A musician a string
Give a politician a pulpit
Save the teacher to educate
All mighty, mighty men...

[thegamerslink]

I'm just missing the original question I'm sorry, I was thinking you were asking where you should stop when it comes to interjecting your own experiences and feelings into your teaching versus teaching without the religious/political views you have?

[ewomack]

Originally Posted by jdspc

Where does a music teacher stop at defining spiritual perceptions and should I teach experience based revelations?

Music is the most basic non-denom and I find it most taxing to eliminate my beliefs while teaching what is real, in music...

Can you give some examples of "defining spiritual perceptions" and "experience based revelations?" These phrases mean various things to me.

Experiencing music can lead to a whole panoply of revelations, emotional or spiritual. But these can take many forms. One person hearing a Bach Cantata may experience the glory of God. Another one may experience awe at the creative skills of humanity. Another may just groove. Music evokes so many, sometimes contradictory, things.

If you're asking what I think you're asking, I would say let people have their own revelations. Let them experience. They can fill in the blanks later.

[thegamerslink]

I agree with you on that...I

[jdspc]

After a relationship is established, and the musical points become aware, there will become an issue of treatment.
We all look at this, well, us over 8, as spiritual...

Bach did his stuff for a paycheck, we all do...and we all know that...

Music is anti-religion in its base.
(well organized at the very least)

[redz]

Originally Posted by jdspc

After a relationship is established, and the musical points become aware, there will become an issue of treatment.
We all look at this, well, us over 8, as spiritual...

Bach did his stuff for a paycheck, we all do...and we all know that...

Music is anti-religion in its base.
(well organized at the very least)

what about adding rap music to the list? it would be anti-religion 100% i bet you.

[jdspc]

Originally Posted by redz

what about adding rap music to the list? it would be anti-religion 100% i bet you.

Good point, to a point...
First, there never was a list. I do not know whether you assumed I was going with any certain group of music, style o genre. (oh I hate that word, genre, at least when applied to music)

But a good point none the less...
First, define music...
Almost impossible...
But I will step out on the limb...

music - an artistic form of auditory communication

now define artistic - relating to or characteristic

Pretty simple.

Religion - a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

Spiritual - this is where it gets fun...
concerned with or affecting the spirit or soul

Yep, many definitions of that one but we need to stay focused on this particular endeavor to cover my initial query.

No matter what my take is religiously, my teaching in a spiritual manner, once you have grasped the art of auditory communication should begin to affect your concerns equating religion and spirituality AND can my teachings dissuade or persuade you, to question your religion?

At what point do I stop teaching...?

[thegamerslink]

Well, I may sound silly here but if you look at it from a different perspective at the point just past the introduction you're not really teaching any longer as music provides more of a self discovery/awareness atmosphere and is experienced differently by every individual. So you are just the power switch so to speak, where the teaching and learning stops for the student is really out of everyone else's control I would think.....

[thegamerslink]

If you are providing the details of what you think it should mean to everyone then aren't you tainting the water so to speak?

[jdspc]

What I am saying, in the nicest way is, does the family portrayal of religion oppose the music theory brought on by an outsider and if the family doesn't get informed, where is our boundary?

[jdspc]

My job is not to dissuade/persuade in any way...

[thegamerslink]

I am probably way to moderate on this subject to suit the topic then, or actually probably missing it all together. I was in music almost my entire childhood. At home, in school and in church....I never experienced where music theory crossed the religious boundry. But I had a home life that was interactive as well so I was well grounded in what my impressions of what was was....if that makes any sense at all......

[jabo]

So what can you guys say about the music nowadays? The music that makes you dance, makes you sing, makes you rap... How about the artists eminem, snoop dog, etc...

[jdspc]

Originally Posted by thegamerslink

I am probably way to moderate on this subject to suit the topic then, or actually probably missing it all together. I was in music almost my entire childhood. At home, in school and in church....I never experienced where music theory crossed the religious boundry. But I had a home life that was interactive as well so I was well grounded in what my impressions of what was was....if that makes any sense at all......

That, my friend, is all I was askin...

You answered my question perfectly...