Religion (Ethical Attunement)
- In the colonial age, European religion (quiet) vs. “primitive” religion (noisy)
- Ear = passageway for the divine message
- Pythagorea’s followers envisioned the cosmos to be a musical structure
- Religion = the ethical attunement of the soul through disciplinary regimes in order to hear and participate in the universal song
- Ethical attunement = entails the development of capacities of moral discernment grounded in acts of sensitive or spiritual listening
- In Islam: reciting the Quran w/ certain gestures draws a person closer to God
- In Christianity: worship draws a person closer to God and aligns their heart w/ His will
- Across religions (Islam & Christianity):
-Soft & sweet sounds = ascent into heaven
-Rough & loud sounds = descent into hell
Acoustic Flow of Community
- 19th century America – village church bells demarcated communal space and created a sense of belonging; bound individuals to a specific community; specific tonal qualities and histories
- Muslim call-to-prayer – serves a similar purpose
In Christianity: worship draws a person closer to God and aligns their heart w/ His will
- Some Christians believe only hymns are an acceptable form of worship, and that drums should not be used as an instrument of worship in church. Other churches use contemporary music in their religious services. Some churches also use very upbeat music for worship, such as in charismatic churches, and African American churches.
- In Islam: reciting the Quran w/ certain gestures draws a person closer to God
- Some muslims believe only vocal music is permissible and that instruments are forbidden. Those who believe instruments are lawful still think there are limitations of how they should be used. This is why there is a long history of acapella, simple, devotional songs in religion. In Islam: reciting the Quran w/ certain gestures draws a person closer to God
Soft sweet sounds = ascent into heaven Ex:
Rough loud sounds = descent into hell ex: