Music Themes (Q&A)

 

See the Q&A Series here

Q: What’s your take on the theme of music?

 

A: My, my, what an unusual question. Since you know my keen interest in spiritual matters, don’t be surprised by my answer as a musician who composes and produces ‘Christian jazz’ music. 

 

Music is one of the most powerful mediums of communication, and moreover, it is a universal language of sorts. Understanding and deriving meanings from it, however, is deeply personal. What and how a musical selection ‘communicates’ to us varies from person-to-person. Ergo, any meanings and inspirations we derive from it are intimately determined. They may also vary based on our feelings and moods, which themselves are ever shifting. 

 

There are (at least) two definitions of musical theme: ¹

 

1. In a strictly technical or theoretical sense, a musical theme is the main melody, a short, simple sequence of tunes repeated, often with variations, throughout a musical composition, thus comprising its ‘foundation’. In my songs, the themes are typically what I regard as the chorus, the base melody I return to between verses that deviate from this theme. My themes also often vary the lead instrument for a slightly different sound and feel.

 

2. In a broader sense, a musical theme is the thematic concept, e.g., a feeling or mood, the music intends to signify. All musical compositions convey a thematic concept(s), whether the music is instrumental or lyrical. The thematic concept(s) of instrumental music is conveyed in its rhythm, chord progressions, volume, instrumentation, melodic variations, etc. The thematic concept of lyrical music is conveyed in these aspects, plus the song’s title, lyrics, and vocalization style(s).

 

The Bible reveals music was created in Heaven, not on Earth, as a means to praise, worship and honor Father God and Jesus, The Lord God. Thus, it is quintessentially spiritual in nature, created for a most holy purpose. Ezekiel 28:12-15 help us to conceive a bit of this.

 

During His upbraiding of an ancient, wicked king of Tyre, through the prophet, Ezekiel, The Lord briefly segues to addressing the spirit of satan who is possessing and motivating this king. He describes Lucifer, a top-ranked angel whom The Lord created with some internal musical instruments to perform and perhaps lead high-level praise and worship functions in Heaven. Imagine that! Lucifer’s gross pride led him to convince a third of all angels to join him in a revolutionary attempt (coup d’etat) to de-throne and replace Jesus as The Lord God. I understand this to be the first ever sin that was committed, signifying pride is likely the taproot of all sin. As a result, Lucifer became satan, and was cast out of Heaven along with his angelic cohorts, who became devils and demons. They fell to Earth, and later witnessed the creation of humans. They have been wreaking havoc ever since, pending The Lord’s promised final, eternal judgment, namely being cast into the lake of fire called hell. Their clear objective is to use any means possible to ensure they will have the company of as many humans as possible to share their promised, eternal judgment. And sadly, they have been on a very l-o-n-g …winning streak!

 

Get this… I have found no Bible reference that satan ever lost his internal musical functionalities and proclivities. Hence, it is safe to presume these remain intact. The spiritual nature of music renders it a perfect carrier or conveyor of spiritual unctions to worship and honor something or someone. Since satan and his cohorts have been thoroughly and irredeemably corrupted by their gross sin, it is also safe to presume they promote the use of music in any and every way possible that contradicts its original, holy purpose. , i.e., to praise, worship and honor Father God and Jesus, The Lord God, Whom devils and demons hate with passion. Thus, music has historically been a primary means they use to corrupt and entice us to join them in all and anything Heaven considers as sinful and unholy. This is a key tactic in their strategy to ensure we will share in their pronounced, pending judgment. ²

 

Across our sin-stained world, carnal music is devils’ choice means or mediums to entice people into deeper and deeper sinfulness. They accomplish this using both types of musical themes described above, in ways that ensure people …‘get and act upon their subtle and increasingly not-so-subtle messages’, without awareness of, or suspecting the spiritual sources and roots thereof. People who are spiritually unaware of what’s really going on (i.e., who are ignorant of such, or what Apostle Paul calls spiritually dead) are like low hanging fruits for these untoward spirits. ³

 

Bottom line: When it comes to music and musical themes, caveat!!!! (beware, in latin)

 

I trust this adequately answers your question.

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¹ See: What is a Theme in Music?

² See: This is how the devil uses music (skip the ads midway through this short video)

³ See: What does it mean to be spiritually dead?, i.e., dead to God