Author Topic: Rock Music (Read 156 times)

NIFH · « **on:** **Yesterday** at 06:59:17 PM »

The primary problem with rock music is NOT the lyrics. That is secondary (though often sufficient on its own).

Music is deeply human. Animals do not compose music. The primary problem is the disordered structure of rock music and the effect of its inverted structure on the human soul.

There are three basic elements in music:
1. Melody - which corresponds with intellect/reason
2. Harmony - which corresponds with emotion
3. Rhythm - which corresponds with passion

A properly ordered human has emotions which are directed by and subordinated to reason. The passions are in turn subordinated to the emotions and reason. In a military march, for example, the melody rules over the harmony, with the rhythm at the service of both. The three work together marvelously, and the listener is aided by the proper order of the structure to order the powers of his soul to reflect this same hierarchy. His intellect will consider the goodness of a society that provides the well-being of its members, his emotions follow with a love for this society, and the passions serve the two in stimulating a desire to defend his society with force.

In rock music, the structure is completely inverted. The rhythm is the ruler, the harmony follows, and the melody is led in chains, if it exists at all. The listener is led to reflect the disorder of the music by enslaving the powers of his soul to the passions, which after Original Sin are only with great difficulty held down in their revolt against reason. The emotions will support whatever the passions demand, and the intellect will slavishly rationalize the demands of the unrestrained passions, if reason is not altogether stifled!

When rhythm is allowed to triumph, the placement of emphasized beats in a measure will be inverted also. In a military march, the rhythm will count:
ONE-two-THREE-four.
In rock music:
one-TWO-three-FOUR.

The disordered structure is what makes even Gospel Rock evil. The lyrics of course are very good, often the words of Our Divine Lord Himself, but the manner of delivery by an inverted musical structure negates the order that God has designed our souls to have.

There is no "moderation" in the consumption of rock music.

AnthonyPadua · « **Reply #1 on:** **Yesterday** at 08:20:39 PM »

Quote from: NIFH on Yesterday at 06:59:17 PM

The primary problem with rock music is NOT the lyrics. That is secondary (though often sufficient on its own).

Music is deeply human. Animals do not compose music. The primary problem is the disordered structure of rock music and the effect of its inverted structure on the human soul.

There are three basic elements in music:
1. Melody - which corresponds with intellect/reason
2. Harmony - which corresponds with emotion
3. Rhythm - which corresponds with passion

A properly ordered human has emotions which are directed by and subordinated to reason. The passions are in turn subordinated to the emotions and reason. In a military march, for example, the melody rules over the harmony, with the rhythm at the service of both. The three work together marvelously, and the listener is aided by the proper order of the structure to order the powers of his soul to reflect this same hierarchy. His intellect will consider the goodness of a society that provides the well-being of its members, his emotions follow with a love for this society, and the passions serve the two in stimulating a desire to defend his society with force.

In rock music, the structure is completely inverted. The rhythm is the ruler, the harmony follows, and the melody is led in chains, if it exists at all. The listener is led to reflect the disorder of the music by enslaving the powers of his soul to the passions, which after Original Sin are only with great difficulty held down in their revolt against reason. The emotions will support whatever the passions demand, and the intellect will slavishly rationalize the demands of the unrestrained passions, if reason is not altogether stifled!

When rhythm is allowed to triumph, the placement of emphasized beats in a measure will be inverted also. In a military march, the rhythm will count:
ONE-two-THREE-four.
In rock music:
one-TWO-three-FOUR.

The disordered structure is what makes even Gospel Rock evil. The lyrics of course are very good, often the words of Our Divine Lord Himself, but the manner of delivery by an inverted musical structure negates the order that God has designed our souls to have.

There is no "moderation" in the consumption of rock music.

Thanks for this post. I never had much interest in music when I was younger, never liked secular music for the most part. If only someone had explained it like this I may have had interest in it

Matthew · « **Reply #2 on:** **Yesterday** at 09:04:33 PM »

Quote from: NIFH on Yesterday at 06:59:17 PM

There is no "moderation" in the consumption of rock music.

You need to define your terms. You can't say "what the kids are listening to" or "what's on the radio". This isn't the 1960's.
The only place you're going to find "Rock music" played live is at gatherings with tons of Baby Boomers and older GenX.

Even "Pop" (or "popular") music varies a ridiculous amount. The Cranberries aren't "rock and roll" though they are definitely "pop". Or how about "Enigma", which had that song "Return to Innocence" which sounded like Native American chanting.

There are dozens of genres of music. Very few of them could be classified as "Rock and Roll" in any classic sense, as in "What those Christian/Catholic authors wrote about, in their writings/sermons against Rock music" or "What Bishop Williamson spoke about when he criticized Rock music".

There are lots of "popular" or "secular" genres of music, many of which have a distinct rhythm, percussion, etc.

Let's put it this way -- even if they're quite exciting, quite good to work or exercise to -- their rhythm isn't even syncopated (one TWO three FOUR) as you describe. That's what I'm talking about.

In conclusion, if drums don't equal "evil" (which you seem to agree with, with your example of military march music), then countless modern, popular, secular genres of music would be fine.

In Conclusion -- if you want to discuss further, I suggest we define our terms and/or provide examples. It's what high end, intellectual Catholics like St. Thomas Aquinas do. Otherwise, we might be arguing around each other, talking about 2 different things. No one wants that.

And no, it's not sinful to post a youtube of some rock song*. We've all heard these songs at work, in the grocery store, at the outdoor event we took our family to, etc. It's not going to kill us, or instantly turn us into Mr. Hyde.

(*For most songs, there's a "lyrics" version of the song. i.e., where the complete song is played, and the lyrics just scroll up the screen. Because many rock music VIDEOS -- the official videos, put out by the artists, aired on MTV -- are indeed sinful)

Or if you don't want to post examples, just give names/artists. That would do as well.

Author Topic: Rock Music (Read 156 times)

NIFH

Rock Music

AnthonyPadua

Re: Rock Music

Matthew

Re: Rock Music