“Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.” -Martin Luther

The title of this post is the Hebrew word for song (music), which is associated with praise and worship of God. This post has taken me some time because I don’t want to write about music in a trite, mushy, and overused way. Many people say music is everything to them; without music, they could not go on. Music is everywhere and in every culture. Music takes on many forms and genres. Music is used to celebrate and is celebrated itself throughout the world. What I want to focus on in this post is that music is a gift from God. He created it for us so that we may use it to express our joys, sorrows, and yearnings for Him. Music was given to praise God, glorify, and enjoy Him. God gave me the gift of loving and playing music so I may use it to draw closer to Him in times of trouble and sorrow.

”I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music.” -J.S. Bach

In the Western world, music comprises 12 tones (not going to get into microtones). Composers, artists, and musicians write and make these 12 tones into something pleasing and beautiful to our ears by combining them in a specific way, creating melodies with an underlying rhythm and harmony. Think of all the songs and compositions you’ve ever listened to. Can you believe all of these songs have come from only 12 notes? Think of all the books, articles, and poems you’ve read (in English). Can you believe all of these come from only 26 letters? There are infinite ways letters and musical notes can be arranged to create immense beauty. And when notes and words are combined? Amazing! This depth of beauty could only come from God.

Think of places you’ve been that you consider beautiful. I think of snow-capped mountains, vast oceans, white sandy beaches, green rolling hills, and red and orange-painted canyons. When I think of these wonders, I feel a sense of contentment that I cannot describe. The work of His hands formed all of these. So was music.

Tim Keller on the beauty of God: “Is there certain music that gives you deep joy? Is there a view or landscape that does the same? If someone says, ‘What is the use of that?’ you answer that the music or landscape is not a means to some other end but profoundly satisfying in itself. . . To sense God’s beauty in the heart is to have such pleasure in him that you rest content.”

We are called to praise God with music. We are commanded to lift our voices in worship to the Lord. There is an entire book of the Bible that is nothing but songs to the Lord. Psalm 95 continually uses the phrase “let us” as a command when calling others to lift their voices in praise. This phrase, to me, implies a sense of gratitude rather than another command I am to obey. I get to sing to the Lord; I am honored and privileged to play and sing to Him. What an excellent command!

Music is a vital gift from God in my life. It has helped soothe my soul over and over again when I have walked through the darkest, muddiest, most bottomless mire of trials and sorrows. Listening to music and playing an instrument has always been an undeniable joy that pierces my heart.

My instrument of choice has always been the violin. I remember the first time I heard the violin and recognized its beauty. I was young, probably around eight, doing something in the living room while the TV was on in the background. I wasn’t paying attention to whatever show or movie was on until I heard music from a commercial that sounded so beautiful. I stopped what I was doing and watched it. I could not tell you anything about that commercial other than wonderful violin music in the background. I believe there was a violin in the commercial, but I do not know what was advertised. I was mesmerized and captured by the beauty of this instrument.

”I’ve never known a musician who regretted being one.” -Virgil Thomson

In fifth grade, I was finally old enough to join the beginning orchestra in school. My school district did not require students to take orchestra in fifth grade. You could wait and take a beginning class once you get to sixth grade (middle school). I wanted so much to start playing the violin, but my parents thought I should wait another year to join. Time would not change my mind. I still wanted to play in sixth grade, so I signed up for the class and was fitted for the correct size by the orchestra teacher a few weeks before school started. She tried to convince me to play one of the less popular instruments of the orchestra (specifically viola and double bass), but I was stuck on the violin. I haven’t looked back on my decision since then.

I thoroughly enjoyed playing in orchestra throughout my middle and high school years. I had close friends who played in the orchestra with me, but none were as in love with playing as I was. I didn’t take private lessons until the summer after my junior year of high school, but I always pushed myself to do my best and participate in any competition I could. I wasn’t a prodigy by any stretch of the imagination, but I worked hard and was a decent musician. I wanted to be even better and audition for the All-State Orchestra as a senior. My orchestra teachers required students who wanted to audition for this to take private lessons from someone. I begged my parents for private lessons, and they allowed me to study with a doctoral student at OU once a week.

My private teacher helped me improve my playing and break some bad habits I had developed. I would audition for All-State no matter my chance at making it. The audition comprised a three-octave scale, a Kreutzer etude, and various excerpts from the pieces the All-State orchestra would perform at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association conference. The most difficult excerpts were from Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. One day, my teacher asked me if I had listened to this piece (all the movements, all the way through). I told him no, and he instilled in me the importance of listening to and knowing the piece you are playing. This would help me understand how it should be played in the context of the entire orchestra.

So I purchased a CD (so old school) of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony and listened to it in the car. Oh, wow! The beauty of the second movement, in particular, gave me the same feeling I had as an eight-year-old hearing the violin for the first time. The feeling you get when standing on the peak of a mountain and looking over the vast beauty of the earth. The same feeling I received when I saw the ocean for the first time. Art like I have never known. It was something out of this world! Even if I couldn’t articulate it as a 17-year-old, I knew deep in my soul that because there is music, there is a God, and He is so good. From then on, my love of classical music soared, and I no longer wanted to play the violin; I wanted to emote and pour my soul on the violin to worship God with something I deeply loved.

Tim Keller said this about art and music on Facebook in 2017: “The Church needs artists because without art we cannot reach the world. The simple fact is that the imagination ‘gets you,’ even when your reason is completely against God. ‘Imagination communicates,’ as Arthur Danto says, ‘indefinable but inescapable truth.’ Those who read a book or listen to music expose themselves to that inescapable truth. . . When you listen to great music, you can’t believe life is meaningless. . . We need Christian artists because we are never going to reach the world without great Christian art to go with great Christian talk.”

Playing or listening to music is a way I can draw near to Jesus and worship Him. Drawing near to Jesus, giving Him thanks, and praising His glorious name are things I have learned to do when melancholy or anxiety strikes. Yes, I can do these things with the Word of God and with prayer, which is vital to my spiritual health, but sometimes I have no words to say. Playing for Him or listening to the art He created is a way to pour out my longing for Him and display my yearning for Jesus to come. When I listen to a piece of music that is brilliantly ravishing, it is like my soul is saying, “Here, my Lord, I offer this to You, for You are worthy of its unmatched radiance. Help me to find hope in You and press on because You have graciously given this to me.”

When I felt lonely, I listened to music. When I endured overwhelming anxiety, I sang my favorite songs. When I needed hope, I listened over and over again. I did not grow up thinking I would be a good writer. I honestly didn’t start writing with such beauty until I captured the matchless beauty of God through His gift of music. I listen to music every time I write. The strokes of my hands on the keyboard open my imagination to see myself pulling out a wonderful melody on a piano. I know the gift of music was given to me by God to glorify Him and make my way through the difficulties of my mind. One of my greatest joys is turning up the volume as loud as I want in my car and singing as loud as possible to Jesus. Try it and feel the relief it brings, if only for a few moments. Then you can press on.

I will continue to write about specific songs, hymns, genres, and experiences with music throughout this blog. Since this post was mainly about classical music, here is a list of my favorites. The great thing about music is that there is something for everyone. I find these pieces enjoyable and beautiful and I hope you do too. If you disagree with my choices, that’s okay. Listen to something you find beautiful and praise His holy name.

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6
Sibelius Violin Concerto
Bruckner Symphony No. 7
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2
Ravel Tzigane
Ravel Pavane pour une infante defunte
Mahler Symphony No. 5
Mahler Symphony No. 2
Faure Requiem
Beethoven Symphony (All)
Barber Adagio for Strings
Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Violin (All)

Hilary Hahn’s version of Sibelius Violin Concerto is brilliant! Her engagement with the orchestra and sheer joy of playing the violin is infectious. Watch it here.

Finally, I said I would get into other songs and hymns another time. I will, but I want to leave you with my favorite hymn. I’m not sure why it is my favorite, but I think it may be because the tune and the words are so very simple. The simplicity allows my imagination and heart to soar, but it also keeps me firm in the simple fact that I love the Lord and I desire to worship Him.

I love you, Lord
and I lift my voice
to worship you, oh my soul, rejoice!
Take joy, my King
in what you hear
let it be a sweet, sweet, sound in Your ear

Heavenly Father, I pray that weary souls find refuge in Your gift of music. I pray a song or hymn gives them hope to press on and seek You. Thank you for beautiful music and for the command to praise You with it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.