Motive

 a reason for doing something; especially one that is hidden or not obvious.
 A musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance or intension.

“Music is a very powerful force. It has a way of breaking down barriers… But a lot of artists are taking that very powerful
tool and putting negative, horrible lyrics to it, and those lyrics are getting into the hearts of the listeners and are shaping
their values. Why can’t we (i.e., contemporary Christian musicians) take that same powerful force – music – put positive
lyrics to it and begin shaping values that way?” – Sandi Patti (CCM Artist) –

“Basically you have to focus on the lyrics, and what the song is saying. That is my criteria to decide whether the song is
right or wrong. It has nothing to do with the music style. It has to do with the lyrics. What is the song saying? What are
the words saying? As Christians, we can objectively judge it from that standpoint.” – David Meece (CCM Artist) –

“The medium is the message. That is to say, the music: its melody, harmony and rhythm, all by itself disposes man to
virtue or vice by moving the emotions. Therefore, the way in which they move the passions should serve as a principle
basis for judgment on whether any given piece of music is good or bad.” – Prof. Marshall McLuhan –

“(Music) trigger a flood of human emotions and images that have the ability to instantaneously produce very powerful
changes in emotional states. Take it from a brain guy, in 25 years of working with the brain, I still cannot affect a persons
state of mind the way that one simple song can.” –Dr. Richard Pellegrino (Brain Specialist) –

Can music alone influence the listener? (Music Samples)

“…music can rapidly and powerfully set moods and do so in a way not easily attained by other means.” –
Dr. Norman M. Weinberger (Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior, UC Irvine) –

“If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong; and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral
character. When we decide that as Christians we are not required to restrain our thoughts and feelings, we are brought
under the influence of evil angels, and invite their presence and their control. – RH, April 21, 1885 –

Did God create music to influence our thoughts and feelings? Yes
Has Satan left music alone? NO

“Our thinking and our behavior are colored by music, which seems to have direct and unconscious access to the brain
substrates of much, if not all, of our individual lives.” – Dr. Norman M. Weinberger –

“There is no such thing as an evil or moral musical note!” is this statement correct? yes but many use this statement to
justify that music is neutral.

Dr. Manfred Clyne, a researcher of neuroscience, discovered:

 That people respond to color and music in the exact same ways neurologically speaking.
 All human beings respond to visual and audible stimuli in the exact same way, the same imprint is made in the
brain.
 Language and culture had no bearing.

“We sing or produce whatever music we want to because the Bible says we can!”
-Taken from Ephesians 5:19. Spiritual songs=non-carnal

Music is a language! It should be conducted in clear and understandable ways. (ILOVEJESUS-spoken in inspiring, lustful
and angry way)

Elements of Music:
Melody – Chief them of musical composition.

“Melody is the very essence of music” – Mozart –

Harmony – the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions with a
pleasing effect.

Melody is the main thing; harmony is useful only to charm the ear.

– the perception of depth, perspective, mood, color and atmosphere is joined to melody through harmony. In a
well-written piece of music, the harmony will be supportive of the melody and play a subservient, though crucial role.

Rhythm – the orderly movement of music sounds and silences through time.

Melody-Harmony-Rythtm -------------- Rhythm-Harmony-Rhythm

“Rhythm is the element of music most closely allied to body movement (fleshly, carnal), to physical action. Its simpler
patterns when repeated over and over (which is exactly what rock does) can have a hypnotic effect. – Joseph Machlis –

“They also have shown that driving drum rhythms in excess of 3 to 4 beats per second will put the brain into a state of
stress. Regardless if the listener likes or dislikes the music. When the brain is in a stressful state, it will release opioids – a
group of hormones that function like morphine – to help return itself to normal equilibrium. These opioids, when
experienced often enough, can be addicting and the listener seeks for the “high” again. (This is why listeners tend to
move from less to harder music). Loud booming bass music has a similar effect and it’s no wonder that adolescent males
prefer these types of music: they are either stimulating a release of brain chemical, stimulating their hormones, or
both!” – The Power of Sound –

“There is a great deal of powerful sexual stimulation in the rhythm of rock music.” – Dr. David Elkind –

“The sexuality of music is usually referred to in terms of its rhythm – it is the beat that commands a direct physical
response.” – Simon Frith, Sound Effects, Youth, Leisure, and the Politics of Rock n’ Roll, p240. –

“The throbbing beat of rock provides a vital sexual release for adolescent audiences.” – Jan Berry –

“Rock music is the strongest drug in the world.” –Steven Tyler, Aerosmith-

“We take the kids away from their parents and their environment to where the only reality is the rhythm and the beat.”
– Donnie Brewer, Drummer for 1970’s Grand Funk-

King George I

 Had problems with memory loss and stress management.

 He read from the Bible the story of king Saul and recognized that Saul had experienced the same type of
problems that he was experiencing. The King recognized that Saul overcame his problems by using special music.
 With this story in mind King George asked George Frederick Handel to write some special music for him that
would help him in the same way that music helped Saul.
 Handel wrote his “Water Music” for this purpose.

David Merrill’s High School Science Fair Project:

Sixteen-year-old David Merrill, thought that the loud sounds of hard-rock music must have a bad effect on its
devoted fans and came up with a way to test that damage.
Merrill got 72 mice and divided them into three groups: one to test a mouse’s response to hard rock, another to
the music of Mozart and a control group that wouldn’t listen to any music at all, rock or classical.
 The young visionary got all the mice accustomed to living in aquariums in his basement, then started playing
music 10 hours a day. Merrill put each mouse through a maze three times a week that originally had taken the mice an
average of 10 minutes to complete.
Over time, the 24 control-group mice managed to cut about 5 minutes from their maze-completion time. The
Mozart-listening mice cut their time back 8 ½ minutes. But the hard-rock mice added 20 minutes to their time, making
their average maze-running time 300% more than the original average. Need we say more? Well maybe we do. Merrill
told the Associated Press that he’d attempted the experiment the year before, allowing mice in the different groups to
live together. “I had to cut my project short because all the hard-rock mice killed each other,” Merrill said. “None of the
classical mice did that.”

There is scarcely a single function of the body which cannot be affected by musical tones. The roots of the auditory
nerves are more widely distributed and possess more extensive connections than those of any other nerves in the body.
Investigation has shown that music affects digestion, internal secretions, circulation, nutrition and respiration. Even
neural networks of the brain have been found to be sensitive to harmonic principles" (Tame, David, The Secret Power of
Music, p. 136)

Mind and Body altered by music:

 Raise or lower BP
 Mental Illness
 Depression
 Retardation
 Insomnia
 Change Metabolism
 Affect muscular energy

“It may be able to do all these things more successfully… than any other stimulants that produce those changes in our
bodies.” – Julius Portnoy, Musicologist –

Fredric Chopin:

 10-year old pianist and composer

 Summoned to play for Grand Duke Constantine, governor of Poland.
 Chopin’s music controlled his seizures
 The cure would last for a time, then he would call young Chopin again when the musical medicine wore off.

Contemporary Christian Music – a genre of modern popular music, which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with
the Christian Faith.

“…the human voice in singing is one of God’s entrusted talents to be employed to His glory. The enemy of righteousness
makes a great account of this talent in his service. And that which is the gift of God, to be a blessing to souls, is
perverted, misapplied, and serves the purpose of Satan. – Evangelism, 497 –

MUSIC Tests:
1. Meaningful – not trivial
2. Untainted – not worldly
3. Spiritual – not carnal
4. Inspirational – not degrading
5. Clear – not confused/disguised
 1. Meaningful – not trivial
 Godly music will contain lyrics and instrumentation that are full of beauty, dignity, reverence and
simplicity, worthy in the praise and worship of God.
 Psalm 33:8. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

Music was made to serve a holy purpose, to lift the thoughts to that which is pure, noble, and elevating, and to awaken
in the soul devotion and gratitude to God. What a contrast between the ancient custom and the uses to which music is
now too often devoted! How many employ this gift to exalt self, instead of using it to glorify God! – VSS, 448 –

2. Untainted – not worldly

 Godly music will lead us to think in Biblical patterns. It will not seek toi imitate the world’s ways.
 Phil 4:8. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever
things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of
good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.
 1 Thess. 5:22. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

When turned to good account, music is a blessing; but it is often made one of Satan's most attractive agencies to
ensnare souls. When abused, it leads the unconsecrated to pride, vanity, and folly. When allowed to take the place of
devotion and prayer, it is a terrible curse. – 1T, 506 –

“In their efforts to reach the people, the Lord;’s messengers are not to follow the ways of the world.” – GW, 357 –

Time magazine writes that CCM performers are “indistinguishable, except for their lyrics, from their secular
counterparts.

“Now, the industry is celebrity-driven. The song is almost irrelevant. The focus in on the person, and songs have become
disposable. The direction and value system are getting worse faster than any of us can imagine.” – Michael Card, CCM
artist (published by Christianity Today, May 20, 1996) –

3. Spiritual – not carnal

 Godly Music will promote and accompany a lifestyle of godliness and modesty encouraging the spirit. It
will not encourage aggressive or sexual acts or promote carnal behavior.
 1 Jn. 2:16. For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Titus 2:11-12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.

There is nothing more offensive in God's sight than a display of instrumental music when those taking part are not
consecrated, are not making melody in their hearts to the Lord. The offering most sweet and acceptable in God's sight is
a heart made humble by self-denial, by lifting the cross and following Jesus. {RH, November 14, 1899 par. 7}

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today are Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk
out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle.

Regarding her album covers and publicity photos, which portray her as a sexy, attractive young woman, the Christian
pop star says, “I’m trying to look sexy to sell a record…I feel like a Christian young woman in the 80s is very sexual. If
somebody says, ‘You’re trying to go secular,’ I say, “Of course I am: That’s the whole point.’” – Amy Grant on Rolling
Stone Magazine –
 4. Inspirational – not degrading
 Godly music will be expressive of the peace that accompanies the Christian life. It will not emphasize the
clamor, confusion, din and turmoil of the world.
 Col. 3:15,16. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body;
and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing
one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

The enemy will watch closely and will take every advantage of circumstances to degrade the truth by the introduction of
undignified demonstrations. None of these demonstrations are to be encouraged. The precious truths given us are to be
spoken in all solemnity and with sacred awe. – Ev, 138 –

5. Clear – not confused/disguised

 Godly music will contain lyrics and instrumentation that are full of clarity, beauty and dignity, worthy in
the praise and worship of God. The genre will not cloud or confuse the message.
 1 Cor. 14:14,15. For if I pray in an [unknown] tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is
unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will
sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Let all take time to cultivate the voice, so that God's praise can be sung in clear, soft tones, not with harshness and
shrillness that offend the ear. The ability to sing is the gift of God; let it be used to His glory. {MYP 294.1}

Christianity Today commented that CCM sales were slumping because of CCM performers’ “lack of spiritual commitment
and meaningful lyrics.”

“Some ‘Christian’ songs today are so veiled in terms of spiritual content that their meaning is lost to all but the most
imaginative.” – John Styll, CCM Magazine editor –

“The only difference between Amy Grant’s love songs and those of Olivia Newton-John is that often Grant’s pronouns
come with capital letters.” – Billboard Magazine and Face the Music –

“Many singers, have softened their Christian message in an effort to ‘cross over’ into the secular marketplace. But many
now say this practice has damaged their credibility with Christian audiences while blunting their impact on secular
customers.” – Christianity Today –

“The lyrics of a good number of the songs don’t say anything specifically Christian – they may have some moral message,
but not a lot of the big songs are identifiably Christian. ‘What happens to the message when we start getting the music
to as many people as possible?’ There is an essential part of the gospel that’s not ever going to sell. The gospel is good
news, but it is also bad news: ‘You are a sinner, and you are hopeless.’ That’s a part of the message, too, and if that’s
taken out – and it frequently is in Christian music – it ceases to be the gospel.” – Michael Card –

“Those things which have been in the past will be in the future. Satan will make music a snare by the way in which it is
conducted. God calls upon His people, who have the light before them in the Word and in the Testimonies, to read and
consider, and to take heed. Clear and definite instruction has been given in order that all may understand.” – 21
Manuscript Releases 130 –

Prov. 12:46. For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.