The Symphony Of The Soul

Happy Sunday Everyone. For me, it's my Happy Birthday Eve. The entire country is swathed in snow, cold and chaos. Attending online church services helped to lift my Spirit and renew my mind. Luckily, the praise teams showed up and showed out. Being socially distant preclude large choirs gathering, but many churches have adjusted their music ministry to accomodate that. So how important is music? It is mentioned many times in the Bible. Since the world was, music has been. How does music touch your soul? The Spirit inside of you? Music's original role was to praise God. Over time, it has morphed into what it is today. As a black woman, I relish in our history both in Africa and America. African music tells the tales of our ancestors. An oral history of our people, cultures and experiences. It expressed our languages and our deep rooted connection to each other. Once stolen from our land, music adapted to the "New World". Songs became spiritual medicine for broken souls. Music was used to ease the burden of the slave labor and relentless captivity.  For those who had to escape, songs were used as roadmaps to freedom. Once freed, churches became social magnets. This gave rise to Gospel music. Black people needed to uplift their spirits through the adversity that challenged them. The call and respond style allowed audiences to participate and release their tensions in a socially responsibly way. As the genre grew, lyrics were formed around popular melodies of the time. Today, music is categorized and segregated by the companies that produce them. However, musicians have blurred those lines to bring our society some semblance of unity. Have you noticed how traditional church hymns are becoming more secular? Have you noticed how Gospel music has crossed over to all music genres? Every religious service I've ever been to has music incorporated into it. Whether its instrumental, soloists, praise teams, choirs or pre-recorded tracks, music is a part of the ministry. I am a lover of music and I enjoy the creativity and artistry that musicians use to craft their product. I also find that music adds the soundtracks of our lives. So now that we've seen how music affects the mind, body and soul, how has it affected your life? What genre(s) do you listen to? Where does music take you to? What memories does it evoke for you? Please share your comments below. Thank you for reading this article and supporting this blogspace. Stay safe, warm, masked and healthy. Take Care and God Bless!!!