Spring: A Musical Experience

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While I found the St. John's Passion concert to be an impressive display of talent, I did not find the religious experience I think many others did with it. 

But then I began thinking, what do I think is religious music? Not what people tell me is religious music but what I feel to be religious. 

I came up with two different avenues. One in which I feel connected to people, and one where I feel connected to nature.  

Singing with other people, whether it be hymns on Sunday in church or even chanting with others during my yoga class- this is where I feel a strong connection with others that almost overwhelms me. To me just experiencing any music with others can be a religious experience if you make it that way. 

The other thing I found to be true in the following days was my religious connection to the sounds of nature. Birds chirping, rain falling, the oceans ebb and flow, when I am reflecting on just the sounds of nature a feeling of gratitude sweeps over me. I feel lucky to experience such sounds and am really able to step away from the hassles of day to day life and see the bigger picture of what it all means. 

So while many may think of religious music as something that has to be sought out, I encourage people to look for sounds closer to home that make you feel love, grateful, moved, and in awe because to me those feelings connect directly to religion and you'll start to find comfort in these everyday noises that can bring you closer to whatever God, Gods, or other deities you believe in.

Comments

  1. Jonathan Brumberg-KrausMarch 31, 2015 at 5:14 AM

    It's all about the associations we have with certain sounds (and tastes, aromas, sights, and textures for that matter). But the big questions are- how are those associations created and shaped? How do and can we create and shape them?

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