To Affect

The act of hearing music, of listening to ordered sound, is to resonate with Creation, of which the individual is a part. When the human ear perceives the various musical harmonies, it involuntarily recognizes the reality of the Creator's work. The human desire to participate in musical activity is not, therefore, so much a need for self-expression, as the humanists would have it, as it is a longing for and a reflections of a relationship with the Creator. This recognition also has affective and formative power on the human mind and body. Luther's views on music reflect Augustine's synthesis of Greek music theory with Christian dogma: music not only mirrors the order of the created universe through its own numerical order but can positively affect individuals by audibly "putting them in touch" with the greater order of Creation. The order or "music" through which God created the universe thus becomes a means of spiritual growth.

/Dietrich Bartel, Musica Poetica on Martin Luther

Studying Hindemith has proven to help me better understand what Luther seems to know (though he did not necessarily have all of the understandings of the overtones like Hindemith did). Hindemith essentially explains the reason music is created the way it is as a result of the naturally occurring overtone series, and then proceeds to develop a system of redefining how we think about tonality based off of this observation (though at its core it is simply a more scientific framework through which to understand what we already know about how music works).

My point is that we need a more whole concept of music, its effects, its affects, its nature, and its purpose. I think Hindemith took a big step forward that appears to really be a big step backward--it seems Pythagoras somehow understood this centuries ago.

At any rate, we ought not be lax about the musical education of our young. It so so much more important than we even realize. I quote Luther,

To you, my dear young man, I commend this noble, wholesome, and joyful creation, through which the feelings of your heart may at times be helped, especially when withstanding shameful lusts and bad company.

No matter what you might think about Luther, we cannot deny the powerful affect music has upon the soul. There is a reason it is ubiquitous. And yet we still don't seem to get it.

It is necessary indeed that music be taught in the schools. A teacher must be able to sing; ...We should always make it a point to habituate youth to enjoy the art of music, for it produces fine and skillful people.