Throughout my high school years, I listened to an increasingly eclectic mix of music. I listened to everything from Relient K to Earth, Wind, and Fire.
Another Christian musician who had a large influence upon my life was Rich Mullins. Here again, I was attracted to his musicianship, but it was the life behind the music that fascinated me. The music acted as a bridge between myself and the intriguing lifestyle which Mullins adopted. He was a firm believer in humility and service to others, and was shaken to the core by the awesome love of God. A fan of Brennan Manning, his band was named "The Ragamuffin Band." I suppose that Rich Mullins taught me that as much as Jesus wants us to be holy, he also wants us to be "earthy," in the sense that we ought to be humble and compassionate to all, regardless of who they are or what they have done.
One of the styles of music that I came to love in high school was bluegrass. I have two bluegrass albums that I listen to quite a lot, with performances by Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, and Earl Scruggs.
In a sense, bluegrass music has allowed me to connect with my past. My grandmother was born in a "holler" in Kentucky. Her family members were descendants of Scotch-Irish immigrants who came to the United States during the potato famine. These immigrants brought over their Celtic style, which eventually evolved into bluegrass.
I'd like to think that some of the affinities we have are ingrained in our genetics, because I do have an internal attraction to bluegrass music.
A great example of this involves the song "Soldier's Joy." The version I have is on a CD with two banjos playing a duet. The tune has a Celtic tone, and the banjos' strings pop and roll. Sometimes it is difficult to catch the melody because the activity gets cluttered between the fast movement of all the strings. It sounds anxious and pulsating and joyful all at the same time.
Now this doesn't happen all the time, but once I was in the gym, listening to this song on my iPod, and I felt some weird type of energy swell up within me. I don't mean this to sound bizarre or cliche, but the music actually affected me. All I can attribute it to is the fact that it somehow ties me with my past. I am now busy conjuring up the spirit of Bill Monroe...just kidding.
As I enter college, music is still a very influential media in my life. I have become less concerned with listening to "Christian" music, but I still glean some truth from my listening selection. It will be interesting to see what new music I discover and how it will impact me as I progress through life. I just can't wait until I'm old and 50 cent is like disco...that will be hilarious.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
While I cannot directly relate to your own experience of being transformed away from being "a potty mouth teenage", I do share some of your same views and thoughts.. I too remember the days of Psalty ( those really were good days weren't they?) and then the roll over to DCTalk. In my own personal experience I never really veered away from Christian Music. I fell in love with groups like the Newsboys, Audio A, Reliant K, and Switchfoot. Naturally throughout High School and my breif college experiences, I have been exposed to many other types of music, both Secular and Christian. At the end of the day though for me, Christian music has never been something that has really been something that I base my life on, it has always been a guideline to point me towards that Jesus that you and I have both fallen head over heals in love with.
-DeLiRi0uS
Post a Comment