Music's Impact on Theology: My Video/Vlog presentation
By: Dayna Gallet
Music is a powerful tool utilized as entertainment, a form of therapy, and a learning tool. Although, how can theological stories be told through music and what is it's impact? I decided to explore this question and what I found is concluded in the video below.
Summary
Theological stories can be told through music depending on the story that is being told. Whatever the emotion trying to be conveyed from that story is, music will allow for that to be portrayed even further. From my example, I chose to add music to the "Good Samaritan" story, rewritten by Sharla Guenther. I played "River Flows in You" on the piano by Yiruma behind the story. I was emphasizing the sadness of this story and tried to enhance that emotion with the music. The song is sad, with a slow melody and played in E minor. This allows for a deeper connection to listeners- drawing out the emotion. Therefore, one can just read scripture and attain a lot of information, although the impact of telling it through music is a lot more beneficial. It is an easier comprehension that stays with one because of how catchy tunes are. Along with that, it is a whole new language.
Quotes that emphasize impact of music
"Because of its multilevel wave structure, and because there is always a wave reaching forward at a higher level, and there are enough downbeats to remind us of that, music has the power to introduce us to just this kind of enriching meantime and help us understand more deeply what it means to wait on God" (Begbie).
"This second level corresponds to the psychological body of the individual, a presence born of the three nerve-complexes responsible for sensations, emotions, and perceptions 'or impressions" (Hayes).
"I explore with colleagues my theological research into music. That music is important is never questioned. Nor is it questioned that music could enrich or help "in the classroom," given the rapidly changing cultural movement we face and the difficulty our students have in grasping the language we speak. But creating a space in their minds and understanding to learn to think through music so as to see what it has to offer conceptual understanding" (Heaney)
Why this format?
I chose to make a video about this and make my conclusions based upon a survey for a number of reasons. I wanted to be able to play the piano in the background to emphasize that any tune can really impact the theme of one's story. I chose to make a video so that it was easy to follow along and allow for viewers to visually see and hear what the participants in the survey did. I thought it was important to include normal, every day people in this project to elaborate on the impact that music has on even theology.