One of the problems with growing old is the increased sense of your own mortality. Well it’s not really a problem I suppose. I guess it happens in every generation and at every age, but you never think famous people that you read about in papers, see on TV etc are ever going to die… RIP Pavarotti.
Another thing with growing old is witnessing the loss of society’s innocence through the years. I suppose society never really is innocent, but things have changed quite a bit through the years. Radio stations seem to censor less words, the goodnight kiwi never comes on TV anymore, you can get anything you want on the internet.
Sometimes I listen to Coast FM and am amazed at how melodious the music sounds, and how much simpler life seemed to be back then. Mind you, we’ll probably look back to where we are now in 50 years time and think how much better it was too. What’s my point? Um….. listen to 60’s music. It’s good for you. Or even 50’s music. The things they used to sing about seem so mundane compared to today. Is the kind of music we make a reflection of where we are as a society? If it is, it’s no wonder things are going downhill. Not enough guitar driven rock for one thing.
Yes, growing old makes one think more seriously about one’s mortality. I am begining to think more often about the time I have wasted and often pray to make good use of however many days I have left.
Age has a way of making you see more clearly what really is important – how you might have lived life better and so on.
The young mechanic who worked on my car recently changed the radio station to Coast to Coast (from the concert programme) and it does indeed give me a lift as I sing along to the songs of the sixties. Yes they were great but I vividly remember my Dad complaining bitterly about the rubbish we were listening to – and I overheard my Mum talking with a friend about how they wouldn’t want to be teenagers now (the 60’s) and surprise, surprise that’s exactly what I am thinking these days. Life seemed much less complicated 40 years ago, we all had jobs for the asking, we were safer, our expectations simpler ( well that’s what I think anyway).
Yes, I don’t think people realize how powerful music is in affecting people and the society. There is a definite trend from the melodious and innocent music of the first half of the 20th century, to the much more aggressive, at times senseless (although sensuous) music of the latter half. What accompanied this trend was of course “sex, drugs” (”and rock’n'roll”).
In today’s climate of relativism, people see no problems with all and any kinds of music being presented to children and young adults. They follow what is called the “Praxial” view of music, which takes the truth that “different kinds of music have different purposes”, and take it to the extreme by saying that “therefore all music is as good as any other”. I see a huge problem in this.
The traditional view of music has been that some music is indeed better than others, and that it also plays a part in shaping people and societies for good or for ill. This is called the “Platonic” view of music, after Plato who said, “music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.”
The Platonic view of music is founded on the discovery of Pythagoras regarding the nature of sound and the ‘overtone series’. The overtones are produced on a vibrating string by dividing the string, first into a half, then a third, then a quarter and so on (as this image shows). These are the sounds naturally produced above the main note (or “the fundamental”), and this determines which notes produce a more consonant sound in relation to the main note. For example, if I vibrate a guitar string which plays the note A, the first overtone (produced by dividing the string into a half) is going to be an octave above. The next overtone would be a fifth above, and so on. This is how you would arrive at a chord – C, E, G – which consists of the fundamental (C), the fifth (G) and the third (E). They “fit” together because of the nature of vibration, and are thus rightly perceived to be “consonant” (the earlier in the overtone series, the more consonant the sound).
This Pythagorian discovery is also the basis of harmony in Western classical music, which works through tension and resolution created through movement from the dissonant to the consonant, masterfully crafted by composers such as J. S. Bach. Music of this kind is based on objective reality, in harmony with nature of creation. It’s no wonder then for someone like Bach to proclaim, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”
Plato regarded music, more than any of the other arts, has the power to influence people and societies for good or for ill. He had this to say about musicians who disregard the created order in music:
I think the very same injunction applies to today’s relativistic climate, where music often produces ambiguity in tonality (ie. the fundamental note in the chord is unclear) and violent harmonic dissonances and harsh sounds (ie. sounds full of dissonant overtones) are often celebrated. Is it any wonder that truth and morality are made to sound ambiguous, or claimed to be non-existent, and violent hearts, minds, actions and societal disharmony prosper in such an environment?
I, for one, think not.
Blessings,
TTM
I’ve come across an article which is very relevant to the topic: Youth Culture. Allow me to quote a few paragraphs from it here:
It has an obvious Protestant slant to it, but the points being made are very valid. I recommend a read of it.
Blessings,
TTM