Tag Archives: Music

The Sound of Silence

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“Tonight, we will be singing short musical responses, repeating them over and over.  The repetition of a short phrase helps to quiet the chatter of our monkey brains so that we can go deeper into our hearts and souls.  We encourage you to try the Latin texts, since the simple and clear vowels help to create beautiful and calm music, but if you want to sing the English translation, that will be just fine.”

That is the leader of the first Taizé service I have ever taken part in.  Taizé (teh-ZAY) is a small ecumenical monastic order in Burgundy, France that reaches out to any Christian communities that want to provide a “less busy” worship service for Christians of a contemplative bent.  Continue reading →

Please Don’t Stop the Music

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 After silence, that which comes closest to expressing the inexpressible is music.                                 –Aldous Huxley

I have what some might call a “musical background.”  I grew up playing piano, started playing guitar and bass sometime around middle school, and have suffered from the notion that I am a singer for quite some time now.

Because of its consistent and everlasting presence in my own life, the way I think about music has always contained spiritual undertones.  It is healing, it centers me, and it provides an outlet for emotions that I honestly do not think I could express otherwise.  One sexy chord pattern from John Mayer does more for my soul than a thousand kind words.

I know I’m not alone in this.  Continue reading →