Music: Uplifting and Down-pushing

Hey Bro Jo,

This isn't really a dating question but what is your opinion on what is "good" music and what is "bad" music? And how do you tell the difference?

- TP


Dear TP,

Good question!

I like all kinds of music, from old-time twangy country to inner-city hip-hop (at least the edited / cleaner stuff); I'm a bit of an audiophile (have I ever mentioned that I've DJ'd a little and used to have a show on Talk Radio?) so I'm typically open to new stuff, have a passion for the classics, and appreciate most any talent, especially if it's well-played music accompanied by a provocative lyric.

But I think for this discussion we may want to define what we mean by "Good" and "Bad".

Let's start by looking at "Good" music that's also "uplifting" - while I think the music that each of us might find Uplifting is going to vary a bit, we can probably agree on the elements it needs to have.

To begin with, I think Uplifting Music needs to literally "elevate the Spirit", giving the listener a sense of gratitude for Heavenly Father, Our Savior, and the Blessings we've received.

Thinking a bit out of the traditional box, I'd have to say that I feel that way when I listen to Patriotic Marches and certain film scores. The music reminds me of how I fell about certain things or have felt in certain moments.

Let me also add to this discussion that, probably from all my years teaching, I'm always looking for things that remind me of, or are types and shadows of, Christ. (Remind me some day to share with you "The Infinite parallels between Star Wars and the Gospel")

To that end, given the right mood, I've found these titles to be some of what I'd call "good" (even uplifting):

"Drive" by Incubus
"Awake and Alive" by Skillet
"Spirit in the Sky" by Norm Greenbaum
"Higher" by Creed
"Hey Tomorrow" by Jim Croce
"Kiss from a Rose" by Seal
"I Believe" by Blessed Union of Souls
"Would You Go with Me" by Josh Turner

There's more, obviously, but you get the idea: I think good Music can come in many forms.

As far as "bad" for me, being a music nut, there are two kinds - the musically awful (IMHO "Hamster Dance" tops this list, along with, sorry to say, "Cotton-eyed Joe") and what I call "down-pushing" (my version of the opposite of "uplifting") - I literally think of down-pushing music as stuff that brings one a little closer to Satan.

For me, music qualifies as "down-pushing" for one of three reasons

a) how it makes you feel (and/or act) when you listen to it

b) what the lyrics are about (even if the tune is good - some opera is really vile - I've been sad more than once when I've discovered what the lyrics really are - or are about - to a tune I liked) - some songs could be Very Uplifting, but the lyricist messes them up with one line or drops the F-bomb and it wrecks it - often in those cases I go scrambling for the Radio Edit or by the CD from Wal-Mart - which sells only the edited stuff.

c) the character of the person signing or the band they're with - many singers or groups - throughout history - don't exactly live as examples of Christ - I can ignore most of that, but some people are downright evil - no need to mention them here - and that, for me, is a deal breaker

And I'd like to add here that no genre has a lock on Uplifting and Pure. I sat miserably though one Church lesson as a well-meaning but clearly musically ignorant Adult Sunday School teacher declared that all Rock was Evil and all Opera was of God (and I can tell you, as someone who was forced to study opera in college, much of that is, in fact, quite vulgar). I think each song, each band, each artist, each composer, needs to be evaluated individually.

So . . .

What do You think?

- Bro Jo



Dear Bro Jo -

Thank you Bro Jo for that insight.

I know that there are some bands or singers that can have very good songs that are very uplifting and other songs that are not so uplifting and one band that comes to mind is Nickelback their song "If Everyone Cared" is very uplifting to me along with some other songs but they also have very bad songs that I can't stand to listen to.

And I was in seminary today and we were reading the story about the general authority who sat by Mick Jagger on an airplane and it was really interesting the conversation that took place between them about the music that mick jagger played and why he did it.

In seminary we weren't learning about so much the bad music, my teacher used that story to illustrate priest-crafts but the music side got me thinking about the messages that singers are trying to make just to make money and they don't care about what happens to the people influenced by their music.

- TP


Dear TP -

I'm with you on Nickleback . . .

And it saddens me that some otherwise talented and intelligent people seem to be very willing to play that role for what seems to amount to nothing more than money and fame. (Sister Jo will argue that their lack of intelligence is indicated by their actions)

Great discussion. Thanks for your permission to post it here in the column.

- Bro Jo