The Bible and Music

Today’s class, included a lot about the history of various texts and ancient forms of music. It was interesting to learn about the ancient instruments including the lyre and the shofar. We also looked at how ancient texts can show us about the past and there is a lot of connection between various religions and their texts.

Something that occurred to me was that even though these texts, music, and instruments are very, very old we still find a way to translate them and find their meaning. Sure some words have been altered, but their core meaning is still there. People are still maintaining tradition and staying rooted in their traditions. There is such much history to be discovered. I just found it very intriguing that there is so much from the past to learn about and uncover.

I will be quite honest in saying that I took this class to fulfill the PCA requirement for Butler University. I went through eighteen years of traditional Catholic schooling and I assumed that a large part of this course would be studying Gregorian chant. However after the first class and listening to “Dry Bones” I have a more optimistic outlook and I’m hoping to find out more about the religious roots of music. Professor McGrath also mentioned that we might be able to find more religious references in popular music and I think that would be quite an interesting study. So many of politically charged bands of the 1970s-1980s could possibly have a lot of religious references. I know the band The Who had an album entitled “Tommy” which was made into a film that had religious scene set in a Catholic mass and I think it would be interesting for the class to analyze that scene within the historical context of the album.

After having listened to the music assigned for this next class, I am very excited to talk about it more. I found it really cool and interesting that someone was able to find the original music that goes along with the Old Testament and even parts of the New Testament. The hymns that I listened to sounded very similar to some choir pieces I have done in the past, which shows me that the music of the Bible evolved but didn’t change all that much until much later in history. Overall, I thought that the music was kind of monotonous but I liked how it shows the way people created music so long ago.

I was initially very hesitant to take this class because I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. I spent a lot of time in the church when I was younger and the choir would always sing songs before the sermon, but until I got older I always thought that was just an attention grabber. The first day of class has me excited to see the different genres of music we can affiliate with the Bible. Professor McGrath also has an amazing energy for such an early class which is a wonderful thing. I love to have passionate professors that know how to keep the class interesting. I’m not so excited about potentially having to sing in front of the class, but I think my morning showers will have me well prepared. I can’t wait to see what this semester brings.

After listening to the songs assigned for Monday’s class, I am now more excited for this semester.  I am looking forward to the different cultures and music that this course will open me up to.  Growing up in church I’ve always listened to the hymns, but never really taken the time to listen to the words and the music itself.  I am excited to learn more as the semester goes on.

When Dr. Campbell first told me that I should take this class, I was taken aback. I am not a believer in God, let alone musically inclined. Through my inquisition, she explained that the professor has amazing energy and told me of how she thinks I could really enjoy the class. Despite my confusion, I added it to my schedule.

While I am not a believer, I am incredibly interested in religion. I took a comparative religions course in high school and am currently taking one similar here. Judging from the first day of class, this course will not only be aimed to draw the connection between music and religion, but also to help us become more holistic. With taking a class outside of my comfort zone, I will be forced to push the boundaries of what I am accustomed to. This will allow me to find out more within myself along with the curriculum of the course.

Prof. McGrath has energy that I think all of us envy for such an early morning class. His interest in the material radiates and makes me even more excited to take the course!

I’m a fairly shy person when it comes to performing, and I don’t have any strong religious affiliation. But, after this first day of class, it seems that the semester will be fairly enjoyable. First of all, music is music. It’s hard not to enjoy a classroom setting with such a leisurely topic and atmosphere. Writing blog posts about music will be much better than the in-depth math and computer classes I have this semester. Second, it certainly doesn’t seem like the religious aspect of the Bible will be all that influential in the class, but rather just the texts. I can enjoy the semester like that :).

I do remember hearing Dem Bones as a young kid, and I also remember singing it with my younger brothers when they were small. I’m sure I’ll end up singing it with my children as well. Considering one of the versions did not explicitly mention Ezekiel (as well as the version I’m used to singing), it’s interesting that it has lasted this amount of time throughout generations. The Bible certainly seems to be the most mentioned/cited in music, out of all of the religious texts. I’m interested to find out through the semester if this is because the Bible is the most familiar in the modern West, or if there is some other behind-the-scenes cause for this human infatuation.

When I listened to both of these types of music, I realized that both of them sound somewhat similar in style. The tone and general feel of the composing felt very slow and gentle. It seemed like they were created to relax and calm people who listened to it, maybe even as far as allowing them to meditate while listening. I feel like listening to these songs would help people going through a tough time in their lives to become closer to their faith/God. Although I have never encountered music like this before, I really grew an appreciation for the way it seemed to automatically relax me, with a slow melody and beat, it made the songs worth listening to.

Dem Bones Dem Bones Dem Dry Bones is a song that has multiple versions with several different artists. We quickly listened to it during class yesterday and I wanted to learn more about the song as a whole. I did a quick search on YouTube and listened to multiple videos that ranged from The Delta Rhythm Boys singing it to Waring’s Pennsylvanians that was released in 1957. Each video I found myself watching, I felt a deeper understanding in the simple harmony that is displayed. After listening to the song over about five times, it became stuck in my head throughout the whole day. I found myself singing it in the hallways to class and even in my dorm.

I further looked into the history of this song and found that it was written by an African-American author and composer named James Weldon Johnson. The song was first recorded in 1928 by Myers Jubilee Singers. The song’s lyrics are taken from the Book of Ezekial, where the Prophet visits the Valley of Dry Bones and he prophesies that the dead will one day rise again at the command of the Lord. The song got its popularity from the Delta Rhythm Boys when they performed it on the radio, television, and even on Broadway. Following the research I conducted on this song, I can appreciate it more and was interested in the background of the development of Dry Bones.

Coming into Butler as a freshman who graduated high school a semester early and got here this past Friday, I didn’t really know what would work with my soccer schedule and times, so I had emailed my advisor and she automatically enrolled me in classes that would fit my major (Criminology and Psychology). I saw that I was in this class, having no prior knowledge about religion, the Bible, or music in any way, shape, or form. The only connection I could make to this class was that I love listening to music. Feeling a little skeptical about coming to class, I was a little hesitant the first day. After hearing what would be covered, I felt a lot better about it. I realized I can gain a lot of knowledge and potentially become interested in things that I had never shown interest in before. Everyone in the class, me included, seems a little weary of making our own music. The format of the class is something I have never experienced before, but I am excited to explore more deeply the Bible and music that goes along with it. I hope I can gain something interesting from this class that I didn’t know before. So here is to new beginnings and trying new things!