I would like to propose a hypothesis that since the enlightenment pushed our society into a dualist existence there has been an ever-shrinking space and tolerance for mysterious that evoke a profound sense of awe and wonder. It is the idea that musical awe and wonder in the age of science has been rapidly declining.
Enlightenment progressively split the fabric of our belief system and how we relate to the world in two. Enlightenment eventually resulted in atheism, the devaluing of emotion and an ever-increasing push to remove the arts from our education system. One half of life was seen to have immense value and everything that fell into the other half slowly became foolish and unimportant. Instead of a holistic approach to life and the world, things that should never have been separated were broken in two. But it wasn’t a clean break. On the far left and right you have black, in the centre you have white. In between the black and white are varying shades of grey.
At the outer extremes are have:
From the day we were born we have been taught to value all that is on the right to the detriment of all that is on the left. Our society even gives us a rubric of determining both something and someone’s worth.
Sometimes the criteria gives us room for greys but other times it is predominately black and white.
Everything from our career and hobbies to social circles and education is caught up in our criteria of value matric. The more something can be explained and understood in its entirety through science the greater value we ascribe to it. But just because this is how it is, does not mean it is how it should be.
For example, if I were to meet the prime minister/president of Australia/America, Steve Jobs or Michael Jackson I would undoubtedly be very nervous. These are after all very important people. There work is filled with reason and logic and deals with a lot of money. They would be able to fully explain and justify every decision they have made and fit nicely into our postmodern paradigm. They have many great experiences that shape the fabric of their lives, are busy, successful, not overly influenced by religious ideas and have entertained millions throughout their lives.
If I was going to meet any of these people I would be very nervous. What would I say? What if they don’t like me? Could influence something they are about to do? What if I look really stupid and insignificant? Would you wear something to try and impress them? Make sure you arrive in the nicest car your family owns?
Now, what if you were going to meet Melissa Keeling or the person who lives 5 houses down the road to you? You may know they little about them. Unless you struggle with social anxiety you probably wouldn’t be nervous. You might even get along with them make a new friend. If they don’t like you, its not the end of the world. You probably wouldn’t think twice about what to wear and wouldn’t overly plan how you wanted the conversation to go.
Now, what if you meet an orphan who lives on the streets of PNG or Africa or child from Asia who works in a sweatshop as a slave making fashionable items for the west? What would you say, think, feel and do? After when you go home would anything change? Would you still purchase the T-shirt that the child made knowing that they wouldn’t be paid enough to even buy food for the week? Do you still have to have a new phone when the next model came out? Would you still believe that you couldn’t afford to sponsor a child?
You may say to yourself that all people are equal but your actions reveal that you value Michael Jackson more than the African street kid. You would pay several hundred for a concert ticket but a few dollars a month to sponsor a child is too much.
Imagine you have a child who is preparing to go to university and start their career. They are gifted in many different areas and got the grades needed to pursue any area they like? What would you do if they wanted to be a musician, actor, visual artist or dance? They could be a lawyer, top business executive or surgeon. What advice would you give them?
Our dualist approach to the world has led to our criteria of value. This criterion places value on certain people, activities and things while devaluing others. Emotions, mystery, creativity, art, ethics, humanitarian aid and community are progressively becoming less and less valued. The devaluing process is so slow that we aren’t even aware that it is happening.
Music alone cannot fix the world but it can make a difference. Science can tell us that it is vibrations but the evocative qualities of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata still remain a perplexing mystery.
Musicians can get caught on the conveyer belt of the global economy, fam and wealth but they could also perform for the homeless at a local soup kitchen, set up community music programs for disadvantaged kids and play for the sick and elderly. Music can touch the lives of those with disabilities and mental illness. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to perform and for someone else to listen.
If you do this the world will not view you as successful. You will not sell millions of CDs, tour the greatest concert halls or be remembered like Mozart or John Lennon. But maybe breaking away from this dualistic mode of living is exactly what this world needs. Maybe it needs art music that is emotional and rock stars who aren’t gods. Music education that is not solely for the wealthy.
Music brings awe, wonder, mystery and beauty back into the age of science.
“For although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.”
Romans 1:22
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