Although an unabashed Christian with a distinctive Christian worldview, I do enjoy learning what other religions practice and how people from other backgrounds and countries are shaped by their religious beliefs. And, truthfully, we are all products of our backgrounds and our belief system, whatever that may be. People tend to worship something and to place their faith and trust in someone as they seek wisdom and guidance along their life journey. In the final analysis, I find that truth is found in God and in Him rests all wisdom.
And yet, a historical and cultural study of people outside my normal sphere reveals a complex and enchanting world that cannot be and should not be denied nor disparaged in any sense. To denounce a world culture for rejecting God as I know Him is to be unfair to the people who know nothing other than the world in which they reside. But rather than acting superior to them (which I am not), I prefer to learn from them, embracing their culture to an extent, and learning the rhythm of their heartbeat.
Curious about world music and Asian music in particular, I took my Music Appreciation and History of Rock Music class to the Asian Music Circuit in London. A lengthy journey on the tube and a substantial walk through residential areas brought us to the building where we would see and hear the instruments and be treated to a lecture by Asian music scholar and performer Viram Jasani. Expecting great application for the Music Appreciation class, I was pleased later to learn that Viram Jasani had recorded with Led Zeppelin on a Jimmy Page song, providing direct application to the History of Rock class. It was from Viram Jasani that I had a Hindu moment and that I realized the music of a culture cannot be separated from its worldview nor its spiritual heritage.
As mentioned in an earlier essay, the museum within the Circuit is small but complete. Instruments behind glass are described in detail through an advanced educational video for each individual instrument. Organized by country and region, the instruments provide a thorough study of the kinds of sounds and practice of music from across Asian countries. Within this marvelous museum is an interactive sound chamber that allows for creation of Asian music by touching the walls and viewing a video. The video is partly intended to capture the philosophy and religion of the music, two ideals that are interchangeable and connected. The technologically advanced chamber is in contrast with the earthy beauty of the sound, a sound that is both universal and personal.
But as we listened and learned, we did not quite understand the appeal of the music. It seemed soft, simple, gentle at times but not captivating. The sounds were rich but a little one-dimensional at first and the instruments just looked primitive without our advancement of sound or quality. After all, ours is a progressive culture marked by science, math, and technology. What we were hearing seemed rather old and not relevant to our amazing world of great instruments and complex timbres. Our expectations and consequently our interests shaped our immediate judgment of music that did not fit our typical sound culture. Where was the energy? Where was the driving beat? Where was the pushy, emotion-based melody?
Yet the passing of time and the mesmerizing sound caused a change in us. What at first tasted bland, almost sour, became sweet, flavorful, and bursting with quiet joy. The music moved from an external experience to an internal event. From a concrete and obviously unsatisfying response to an abstract depth of thought. We had journeyed through the complex world of our lives and arrived at a form of personal peace through sound. It was a Hindu moment. We had found the juice of life.
Viram Jasani spent some time educating us as to what the Hindu religion (if it is actually a religion) involves and how Hindus practice their philosophy. As I listened to his explanation, it suddenly occurred to me that Hinduism in its practice is not all that distant from Christianity. Our peace is inside us, seeking a window of expression through faith and practice. Our moment occurred from an acceptance of the sound rather than an imposition of our own concepts. Too often we reject that which is different and that which is outside of our experience.
Although I have no emotional desire to embrace Hinduism, I am thankful for the education and for the nearly magical moment where I found inner peace through sound. The vast world of music and sound can provide many great emotional events that can enrich our own lives in mystical and marvelous ways. It reminds me of the requirement to understand the context before reaching a conclusion.
