"Purge out the old leaven..." - I Corinthians 5:7 What is the musical cleanse?The musical cleanse is a 5-step process to rid oneself of the noise of the world in order to purify the soul of musical attachments. The end is to have proper discernment with music; to be able to discern well the music that will aid your spiritual life and rid yourself of that which is harmful to it, even if you greatly enjoyed it in the past. Why is a cleanse necessary?One may ask, "isn't it obvious what music is good and what is bad?" In better times, it was much more obvious. For some who are well-informed it is more obvious, but for many it is unclear. In today's world, we are so steeped in noise and evil music (whether we wish to be or not), that we can very easily think harmful music is good. (For example, the Jackson 5 seems tame and harmless compared to Lady Gaga, but that does not make the Jackson 5 good or acceptable.) It is easy to err in good faith in this regard. Also, we may be attached to music which we suspect or even know is not good for us, but we may be unwilling to stop listening to it due to our attachment. This is where the musical cleanse comes in. How can one discern good music from bad music?There are basic guidelines here: Guidelines & Playlists This is a general standard which serves as a starting point to narrow things down. However, there is much more to discerning music than avoiding major issues: What if the lyrics seem moral enough, there are no gravely offensive beats, and it seems to be innocuous overall? Does that mean it's good? Often, yes. And if you did enough work to determine those three things, you are on the right track. But, those points are not everything. Much music which fits that description is still objectively harmful to us. Music that seems moral enough can still bring you down spiritually more subtly, but not gravely. So, there is no need to be scrupulous. Follow the list of guidelines first if you have not already done so to narrow things down. Then, if you wish to do more for yourself spiritually, do the musical cleanse. The Musical CleanseHere are the five phases of the musical cleanse. For those who are less familiar with these genres, or perhaps don't know where to begin with each phase, there is a list of music for each phase here: Guidelines & Playlists I. Cultivate silence for a minimum of 1 week. Detach yourself from listening to music altogether. It is necessary to begin with silence, especially for those who are accustomed to listening to music often. The purpose of the silence is to begin the process of detachment and clear noise from the mind so that you can begin with a blank slate. If you normally go for a run with headphones, run in silence. If you listen to music in the car, drive in silence. If you play music while you clean or work, work in silence. Do this for a minimum of one week. If you can go longer, do so. Some people need more time than others. For some, it's easy to do things in silence while for others it's nearly impossible, but everyone can do it for at least one week. During this week, make a firm resolution to become detached from all the music you have ever listened to and loved. By the end of this first phase, you should be comfortable with silence. If you are not, continue the silent phase until you are. II. Gregorian Chant Listen exclusively to Gregorian chant for some time. The timeline will be different for everyone. I recommend you listen to it long enough to have three favorite chants which you know by name and can hum or sing along to. If you are already familiar with chant, find three new favorites. Having three favorites indicates that you have listened to it long enough to move to the next step. If you do not love Gregorian chant, by the end of this phase you should at least find an appreciation for it and take joy in listening to your favorites. If you already loved Gregorian chant before you began, you should find a deeper appreciation for it. Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlistlist=PLVXtL8SBB2bPXwGDh2zlLh3WNNkNM1WV6 III. Sacred Choral Music and Hymns Listen to Sacred choral works (specifically motets and masses from the Counter-reformation) along with a-Capella traditional hymns. As in the previous phase, listen long enough to have three favorites. For now, stay away from choral works with orchestra or brass and hymns accompanied by orchestra. The goal is to cultivate a deep appreciation for the voice on its own in its purest form before delving into instrumental works. Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVXtL8SBB2bPuOUiZ0qnkYrOk_QOy0Vru IV. Baroque Music Listen to Baroque works until you have three favorites. Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel are great choices, especially orchestral airs, suites, concertos, and oratorios. Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVXtL8SBB2bMRXjtNOh-ik8LCLrQSKqLZ V. Classical Music Listen to Classical era works, specifically Mozart and Haydn. Avoid the later works of Beethoven, as they are more Romantic in character than Classical. Avoid operas for now; find symphonies, concertos, quartets, piano sonatas, and sacred works. As always, listen until you have three favorites and have cultivated at least a surface-level understanding of Classical music and an appreciation for it. Playlist: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVXtL8SBB2bMtakOIYBOOdsfS7NEi_Ovd Music is not neutral. It does one of two things: it either brings you up, or it brings you down. Once you have completed the five phases, you will find that you have a greater appreciation for music overall. Now, having exposed yourself to the ideal for long enough time to find favorites in each genre, you will be far more sensitive to harmful music. Go back to some of the music you listened to before and pay close attention to how your body and soul react to it. Pay attention to your heart rate, breathing, and muscles. Identify whether certain songs make your muscles tight or tense, identify whether certain songs engage an specific area of the body, and identify the movement or dancing that is inspired by the song. Listen to your gut when you hear a song. If you pay close attention to all of these details, you will find that much of it is no longer attractive to you. You may still feel attachments, but if the music is harmful, you will know in your conscience that you need to let it go. Above all, be willing to let things go. If you undertake the musical cleanse in a spirit of detachment to seek the truth, by the end you will be able to discern well the music that will aid your spiritual life and put aside that which will hinder your spiritual growth even slightly or subtly. The musical cleanse is not something to be rushed through. It is important to take your time and cultivate a love for each phase of music before moving to the next. For some people, this will be easy, for others, it may require quite a bit of discipline. For everyone, it will be beneficial. Ad Jesum per Mariam,
Eliza
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Chant as a WeaponThe power of Gregorian Chant is in its perfect order. The devil only knows disorder. Man's fallen nature inclines him towards disorder; while he knows that his passions should be subservient to reason, the lower faculties always seek to subvert and overpower the intellect, thus enslaving him to the flesh and silencing the voice of God in his soul. This is the spiritual war: the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. All three of these are overcome by order. One must saturate himself in order and dedicate himself to it, engaging tirelessly in constant warfare against disorder. "It is too difficult", one might think. But do not despair; if the flesh is weak, have a willing spirit. Whether one is only beginning the battle against self or is deep in it, there is a powerful weapon waiting in the arsenal. To use it requires no work on the part of the soldier, only silence and open ears. Ideal Music From the Ancient Greeks to Aquinas and Beyond Music is made up of three distinct parts: melody, harmony, and rhythm. Ideal music contains all three of these aspects in proper order. I. Melody is the purest aspect of music which appeals predominantly to the intellect and engages the soul above the body. II. Harmony is subservient to melody. It supports and enriches the melody and creates depth. It appeals to the intellect and emotions. The emotions should be engaged in a moderated way subservient to the engaging of the intellect, thus enhancing the love for God and spiritual things and expressing joy, sorrow or other passions in their proper place. III. Rhythm is subservient to both melody and harmony. It provides structure and time to music. Creation is rhythmic: the seasons, the food chain, the water cycle, the human body, everything. Rhythm is essential to life. Ideal rhythm in music fits with the rhythms of nature, especially in the human body (respiration, heart beat, digestion, etc.), and supports the melody and harmony without overpowering them. Rhythm has immense power over the body. If rhythm is disordered, the results are catastrophic (hence the Bacchanals in the Old Testament, the demonic possession of voodoo priests during drumming rituals, the Jazz era's sexual liberty and organized crime, the "free love" revolution in the 1960s, murderous mosh pits at death metal concerts, and the overall debauchery that takes place at night clubs and "music" festivals today, to give just a few examples). Chant: Perfectly Ordered Gregorian Chant is monophonic, modal, and meterless.
Monophonic = Melody Gregorian Chant is monophonic, meaning it is made up of melody. Melody therefore sits in its proper place above all other aspects of music in chant, making it the purest form of musical expression. Modal = Built-in Harmony Gregorian chant is not harmonized in the strict sense of the word, that is, traditional chant is not sung with accompanying harmonic lines or chords, but a capella. But harmony is inextricably built into chant through active tones, overtones, and reverberation in the modal melody. Chants are built around modes and often remain in one specific mode from start to finish. The intervals between notes create active tones which, while the melody continues on, continue to reverberate and create harmony within the chant itself. This is most clearly heard with large intervals. The Introit "Statuit" is a perfect example of active tones. Here I will show how active tones, overtones, and reverberation create harmony within a melodic line. I. First I will sing the first word "statuit" as it is written in the chant:
II. Next I will sing "statuit" again, this time droning the active tone (the very first note) beneath the chant to show how the harmony is formed:
III. Last I will sing the first line "Statuit ei Dominus" as written. Listen for the intricate harmony. You will hear it in the reverberation of the active tones:
The harmony in chant is found within the melody and is therefore incapable of overpowering the melody, thus it is perfectly ordered. Meterless = Ordered Rhythm Chant is meterless, but that does not make it rhythmless. While it is not strictly measured like the beating of the human heart, it is not without rhythm. The rhythm of chant is found in the length of notes and phrase markings, which makes it possible to sing with multiple voices in unison. Without rhythm, chanting together would be impossible. Chant is free-flowing and smooth and therefore reflects the timelessness of eternity. Its rhythm can be compared to a breeze or the gentle flowing of a stream, as opposed to the steady beating of a heart. Because there is no meter, the free-flowing rhythm of chant is in its proper place, subservient to both melody and harmony. Chant Heals Both Soul and Body The power that music has on the soul is immense. If one listens to disordered music, he becomes disordered. If one listens to ordered music, he becomes ordered. Gregorian Chant is highest, purest form of musical expression because it contains all three aspects of music in perfect order. It heals the soul by ordering the lower faculties to their proper place beneath the intellect and will, and raising the mind and heart to God. Chant also greatly benefits the body by slowing the heart rate, reducing anxiety, lifting the mood, and improving blood circulation and digestion, to name a few of its effects. Gregorian Chant is not dry or unemotional as its critics describe it. Its deeply emotive nature is perfectly subservient to its intellectual nature, and thus goes under the radar of those who are saturated in the music of this world and seek an adrenaline rush from overly passionate music. Chant has such power over the forces of darkness due to its goodness, truth, and beauty, that they flee before it. This is why revolutionaries have sought to remove it from the Church and bury it under loud, prideful, and tasteless music. However, despite relentless attacks by the agents of Satan against it, Gregorian Chant remains the official music of the Church and one of the greatest means of ordering the soul. Sound penetrates the soul.
You may close your eyes, block your nose, and refrain from touch and taste, but even if you block your ears, the vibrations of sound will penetrate your body even to your soul. Even the deaf man is not unaffected by the music around him. The power of frequencies goes far beyond our ability to hear them. Gregorian Chant sung well is one of the most powerful weapons against the forces of darkness. Listen to it often and let it speak for itself. Ad Jesum per Mariam, Eliza |
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