The Spiritual Significance of Music
From the Book:
My
buddy in New Zealand, Justin St. Vincent has just compiled a book of
artists, authors, and musicians called The Spiritual Significance of
Music. It's a philosophical commentary on spirituality, art, and music
in all of its forms from a diverse array of people. The book is being
published today, the first day of the year. When he asked me to be a
part of it a few months ago, I was flattered to say the least. For my
thoughts to be alongside artists like; Devo, Ravi Shankar, Vangelis,
Dave Douglas, and The KLF simply floored me! I'm glad to see Justin
realizing his project. It's a great read and I hope everyone checks it
out.
What do I believe is the spiritual significance of music? When put to
me, this question has two answers. On the one hand, I believe that music is
undoubtedly spiritual for composers and audiences that create or listen to
music for the purpose of faith alone. On the other hand, with my own
experience, I am an atheist and don’t create or listen to music with any kind of
spiritual ear. So there is a certain duality that comes in different guises when
this is posed. Bach is said to have created a lot of his works for the grace of
God, and Gospel music is deeply, if not entirely, rooted in religious faith.
Spirituality is the prime motivator in these, and there are many other
examples; with this comes a purpose that is deep in its beauty and cultural
significance. I am completely astonished in the power of personal faith and the
way belief can manifest into art, that is so rich and exquisite. I have a love for
the creativity that goes into science, and the scientific method of constantly
searching for truth through rigorous trial and error. This is part of what propels
me to make music, and the other is an indescribable feeling that brings
happiness, and sometimes a satisfaction to myself when I have finished a
song. It can also be the impetus for an idea, or the spark and inspiration that
is improvisation. This indescribable feeling could be interpreted as spiritual, but
I think that would take away from the beauty of it. The ambiguity of the
feeling is the best part, and I’m happy to be naïve when it comes to art.
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