Who is music for?
Matt MacGregor
As a devotee of classical music, I always think there is something to be learned from J.S. Bach. Consider the question: “Who is music for?” Bach’s answer to this question has defied and perplexed every generation that followed.
At the time of Bach’s death in 1750, the Enlightenment was in full swing. Amid that first flowering of liberty, equality and fraternity, music was thought an application of humanity’s “own native genius … that would revive his spirits and enliven his taste”. Who was music for? The audience’s pleasure.
The art of giving good feedback
Matt MacGregor
Providing good feedback to the musicians who serve your church is essential. It helps nurture their God-given gifts and ensures that their service is a blessing and not a burden to the church.
This is not an easy task, nor is it only the responsibility of leaders. With the help of the Proverbs, here are three (conveniently alliterative) principles to help all of us in the church to get this right.
Learning from Taylor Swift’s plausible language of lament
Matt MacGregor
We need to talk about Taylor Swift. Much ink has been spilled as to how appropriate her music is for Christians; I am not getting into that debate here. Instead, my attention is on the incontrovertible fact that Swift’s music is beloved by a phenomenally large number of people.
In a culture that is hallmarked by individualism and fragmentation, Taylor Swift has garnered an unprecedented popularity and ubiquity. Her impact has been compared to that of the Beatles, an impact she has sustained for 18 years, eight years more (and counting) than the Fab Four. The New Yorker goes even further, saying that she is best compared to the likes of Napoleon or Julius Caesar.
