Storytelling in Music

During class on Tuesday, we listened to a few musical creations based on accounts of Creation in Genesis. This discussion itself was very interesting and definitely challenged some of my own widely held beliefs, because I was hearing viewpoints I had never heard before. For example, I was never aware that people believe that there was more than one person involved in the Creation of the universe. I believe that is part of the beauty of music. It exposes things to us that we never had noticed before, and it paints pictures for us in our minds like a story. The storytelling in some of these pieces were very well done. I am not a music snob by any means, but I have learned to appreciate good songwriting. It was fascinating to hear how certain composers interpreted that the earth was without form and void. I loved how when the text discussed heaven and the stars, the music became ethereal. It felt like the composer was embodying the stars. I appreciated the repeated melodies that appeared when God said, “Let there be”. When composers use their own creativity to tell sacred stories of the Bible, people can find new and exciting way to relate to perhaps a “boring” text.