Today's "Thought for the day" on Radio 2's breakfast show (how grown-up do I sound advertising that I listen to Radio 2?) was about music, the priest this morning was discussing her favourite songs from her youth and current favourites. She pointed out that her musical selection tells people more about her than any of her sermons. She quoted Victor Hugo who said "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent".
She explained that was why music was used so much in Christian worship, to make people better understand God's message. Whilst I am not religious myself I completely agree with her point.
To me music is my religion, I put my faith in the songs of my favourite artists, they guide me, inform me, inspire me, give hope and provide comfort. Music has long been my emotional crutch, something that I could rely on to always be there for me when no-one else understood what I was thinking and feeling or I couldn't express my emotions.
Music allows me to express myself, be it through my tattoos of my favourite band's symbols, wearing a particular band shirt or dressing to reflect a certain musical movement - I can cover Punk, Grunge or Emo in my wardrobe depending on how I feel that day. It lets me defiantly state who I am and what I believe in.
Going to a concert is similar to a pilgrimage, whilst it probably doesn't involve walking thousands of miles barefoot some people will travel 100/1000s of miles to see their favourite band. A case in point is me and Helen travelling to Niagara Falls to see 30 Seconds To Mars (and the shock and impressed look on Jared's face when I told him how far we'd travelled will stay with me forever) we thought nothing of it.
Whilst I hasten to add that I don't 'worship' my favourite artists or see them as 'gods', I see them as ordinary people blessed with an extraordinary talent who use this gift to communicate to people around the world. A concert is also like religious experience, like a sermon on the mount I guess, the crowd looks up to see and hear what the person/people on stage have to say. They take their messages as an instruction for how to live their lives - this of course can be good or bad, Lady GaGa preaches for equality for the LGBT community whereas some rap artists spread messages of misongony and intolerance bordering on hate.
There is a real community spirit around music just like religion, when you're at a concert you talk to those around you, welcoming those who are seeing the artist for the first time into the fold or comparing previous live experiences with others. Through the social media explosion you can always find someone to talk to who loves a band or singer as much as you do. I met Helen my best friend through both being 30 Seconds To Mars fans, proof that religion brings people together. People who talk or meet through their love of music will also support each other through life crises completely seperate to music.
Whether you're considered to have 'good' or 'bad' taste in music is irrelevant, people have spent 1000s of years arguing about which is the 'true' religion in much the same way we argue about who the greatest artists ever to have lived are. People believe with the same passion in their gods or favourite bands, they pray to a god or they blast their favourite song in times of need.
Personally I choose to worship at the alter of music and to rely on it to join me in my journey through life.
Love Jen
XxxX
No comments:
Post a Comment