I had wanted to read this article from the first time I saw it in Voices. I have always seen an innate connection between music and spirituality, and was curious from the title to see what you had to say. Recently I finally got the chance to read the article, and am very glad I did. The points you made in it have sparked some thoughts that have already crossed my mind, and caused me to look at them a bit closer.
First, you mention how you "always feel a better person when I listen to [this] music." I can definitely relate to this in my own life. There are many times when things just don't feel right inside, and either listening to a certain kind of music, or singing and playing myself, helps me refocus and get more in touch with my true self. Music helps me connect with my own soul, in a way that nothing else can. Sometimes I forget this, and when I do come back to it, it's like I've come back home. You bring up Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan's view about "awakening and being who you truly are, discovering your divine inheritance and the role of creativity in this journey." I agree with this statement very much. I believe that we are spiritual beings first before anything else, that the life of our soul is our true life. Music has such a significant role, therefore, because it is one of the tools we as human beings have to express ourselves and tap into our spiritual nature.
As a society, we have a tendency to cover up our true selves sometimes, and get caught up in the various ideologies and "isms" present in the world, latching onto them as if they're the answer. That is why I feel so fortunate to be studying music therapy, involved in a continuous process of examining myself and my relationship with music, and how I use music to serve others. This helps bring me closer to who I truly am inside, and helps me experience more and more of those "sacred moments."
I agree that it is the right time, as you say it, to talk more about spirituality, and incorporate it into music therapy - not only for the sake of the field of music therapy itself, but for the whole world. The world clearly needs healing, and I think it's safe to say that music is an avenue to which everyone can relate in some form or another. In essence, what music therapists have the ability and responsibility to do, is to bring out those inherent qualities in human beings, and that way spirituality becomes less of a mystery and more of a known aspect of our lives that enhances everything else.
I believe that a definite mission I have in life is to use music as a tool to bring people closer to their true selves, releasing the potential within them to be the best they can be. As it is stated in the Writings of the Baha'i Faith, "Music, sung or played, is spiritual food for soul and heart."
I had wanted to read this article from the first time I saw it in Voices. I have always seen an innate connection between music and spirituality, and was curious from the title to see what you had to say. Recently I finally got the chance to read the article, and am very glad I did. The points you made in it have sparked some thoughts that have already crossed my mind, and caused me to look at them a bit closer.
First, you mention how you "always feel a better person when I listen to [this] music." I can definitely relate to this in my own life. There are many times when things just don't feel right inside, and either listening to a certain kind of music, or singing and playing myself, helps me refocus and get more in touch with my true self. Music helps me connect with my own soul, in a way that nothing else can. Sometimes I forget this, and when I do come back to it, it's like I've come back home. You bring up Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan's view about "awakening and being who you truly are, discovering your divine inheritance and the role of creativity in this journey." I agree with this statement very much. I believe that we are spiritual beings first before anything else, that the life of our soul is our true life. Music has such a significant role, therefore, because it is one of the tools we as human beings have to express ourselves and tap into our spiritual nature.
As a society, we have a tendency to cover up our true selves sometimes, and get caught up in the various ideologies and "isms" present in the world, latching onto them as if they're the answer. That is why I feel so fortunate to be studying music therapy, involved in a continuous process of examining myself and my relationship with music, and how I use music to serve others. This helps bring me closer to who I truly am inside, and helps me experience more and more of those "sacred moments."
I agree that it is the right time, as you say it, to talk more about spirituality, and incorporate it into music therapy - not only for the sake of the field of music therapy itself, but for the whole world. The world clearly needs healing, and I think it's safe to say that music is an avenue to which everyone can relate in some form or another. In essence, what music therapists have the ability and responsibility to do, is to bring out those inherent qualities in human beings, and that way spirituality becomes less of a mystery and more of a known aspect of our lives that enhances everything else.
I believe that a definite mission I have in life is to use music as a tool to bring people closer to their true selves, releasing the potential within them to be the best they can be. As it is stated in the Writings of the Baha'i Faith, "Music, sung or played, is spiritual food for soul and heart."