Music and Religion/Philosophy

I spoke a little bit about this in my last blog, but I’ve been in church ever since I was born. My Father is a preacher, so throughout my entire life I have been exposed to religion and the music through it. Although I have a religion I wouldn’t say that I am religious but rather that I am spiritual. Since I grew up in church one of the many things that I witnessed and learned was praise. It comes in many different forms, but it is something that is always done when music is involved. The different forms of praise are just praise in general like hand clapping, foot stomping, and arms raised. Or praise dances, where people are dancing out the lyrics of the song. The other form of praise is singing, in my church we have the praise team and we get up every Sunday Morning and sing songs unto God before the Pastor preaches. Overall praise is more of the aesthetics.  In church, I learned that the highest form of praise is actually singing and music, because the music was the only thing created before the earth was. The breakdown is, is that we all know that satan was cast out of Heaven by God and took ⅓ of the angles with him. But before then, satan Aka Lucifer was second in command, and he was the one over the music. Thus a bit of proof that music was created before the earth was. Overall I found that whenever I am singing or I am worshipping those moments are the times where I feel closest to God, and I feel more spiritually connected. When it comes to music and my religion I typically listen to Gospel music rather than and or more than Contemporary christian...which don't get me wrong I love both. But to me Gospel is typically an African American genre of music that traces back all the way to slavery. Back then and even now Gospel music was and still is a way to express ways that African Americans felt, how they had to overcome trials, and give praise to God. Overall all of this is something that really means a lot to me and I even based my career around it. I am a contemporary music major, so after I graduate I plan to go work in the church and be the director over the music while also creating songs of my own. Overall music and my religion it is something that I cherish and in the future I will pass down to my children and hopefully they will pass it on down to theirs.