WR-Kate

Kate's World Religions Page Music

Religions around the world have many differences but one similarity that they share is music. All of the religious that we have learned about had their own individual music but even though their instruments, languages, and rhythms are all different they’re all used to express their religious beliefs. There are two ways that every religion uses their music for: meditating and celebrating. I plan to show that even though every religion is different they all share a common factor through the art of music. Many of the Eastern religions are known for the traditional practice of meditation, but every religion has a form of their own meditation which they practice with their music. Some of the religions which practice meditation are [|Buddhism], [|Hinduism] , [|Daoism] , [|Christianity] , [|Judaism] , [|Mormonism,] [|Islam] , [|Shintoism] and [|Hare Krishna]. One definition of meditation is, “to think or reflect, especially in a calm and deliberate manner” ( [|www.dictionary.com] ). When you think about meditation in that sense it helps to understand that meditating doesn’t just happen sitting on a rock in the middle of a forest. A person can be sitting in temple or a church praying and it is considered meditating. Also some of the music that these religions create has calming rhythms with repetitive chants about their religion. Much of the older Hare Krishna music lyrics are just simply “Hare Krishna” repeated. Music by Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Shintoism and Christianity has very repetitive rhythms that correspond to the words of their sacred texts or stories about their religious beliefs. Even the religions that have no written texts and are thought to be native religions have their own forms of music that are calming and celebratory. [|Cherokee], [|Santeria] , [|Vodou,] [|Australian Aborigine] , [|Rastafarianism] , and [|Greek Paganism] all have soothing almost hypnotic music, same as the religions that practice meditating. Australian Aborigine and Cherokee use flutes made from their native trees in much of their music which gives much of their music a calming feeling. Santeria, Vodou, Rastafarianism, and Greek Paganism all use drums which are played in many different repetitive styles. The calming sensation from music can come from the words of the singers or the rhythms of the instruments, either way the listeners and performers are left with a soothing spirit. These religions which all share the idea of meditative music also share the love of celebratory music. During their different holidays and ceremonies these religions have come up with rhythms and songs to match the occasions. The [|Cherokee], [|Santeria,] [|Vodou] , [|Australian Aborigine] , and [|Rastafarians] bring out all their different types of drums and dancers during their holidays. The [|Buddhists], [|Hindus] , [|Taoists] , [|Christians] , [|Mormons] , [|Jews] , [|Muslim] , [|Shinto] and [|Hare Krishna’s] have a more conservative way of expressing their music but they too have dancers and singers and instruments to help them celebrate their holidays in joyous spirits. Even though their rituals and holidays are different they all share the excitement, the joy, and the love of celebrating with their music. Some religions didn’t use music to express themselves in the beginning but they do practice with some musical expression today. The Amish and the Quakers are examples of religions that didn’t start out with music in their lives, but have incorporated it through time. Some new religions such as The Temple of the Vampire, Realism, Scientology, and Wicca don’t have specific religious music yet, but they are still very young religions compared to the others which have their ways of expression through music. The followers of these four religions do listen to music but they don’t all have the same tastes, though many do listen to meditative music not all do. I believe that music within all these different religions is so similar because people are the same. I think people need two types of music in their lives in order to calm themselves and to express their emotions. That is why I believe all religions have meditative and celebratory music, because it’s a way that humans express themselves, through their music.
 * All the links that I used were all from [|www.youtube.com], I do not claim to own any one of them.