Do you think that having spirtual beliefs can influence the quality of music?

[lisztisforkids]

My mother asked me the other day that if Bach was not deeply involved in religon could have he have written his music with such quality? Ofcourse not I thought, beliefs are independent of music.... But.... If Bach did not believe that he was writing for God would his music be the same way? Think about all the requiems and masses for example, these were all written for the express purpose of religon...

In other news, there is an outbreak of Salmonella in my town. Apparently the water supply is infected. We have been told to not drink ftom the tap and only drink bottled water. Also, I am out of food except for a two pound baf of Broccoli...Back to the wine.

[pies]

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[kghayesh]

Well, I cannot say spiritual beliefs influence the quality of music, but sometimes, and for some people it can do so. I guess it depends on how religious a person is. If religion is something so crucial in your life and you consider it as a high priority thing, as Bach, your music will be so influenced by it.

When you listen to Chopin or Beethoven, it is then so obvious that what you are asking is totally wrong  All their music was totally secular and also with an undiscussable high quality!

[term]

the answer is no, quite obviously for me, since saying so implies that just by having such beliefs, one would be a good musician. So, not having spiritual beliefs does not say someone plays music badly.
Being a good musician, or good at anything, is something that stands completely on its own. How you got there is subjective, it will affect in which way you're good or in what, but it won't determine the quality as such.
It is quite legitimate to approach music pragmatically, not in the 'l'art pour l'art'-sense. Some make a huge philosophy about music and playing the instrument. Others don't (which i find very refreshing). But no matter how, quality is something there is no formula for.

[Bob]

I think it definitely inspires people.  Why write it?  Because it's for God.  Does it need to be good?  Yeah, it's for God. 

[prometheus]

lol

[Derek]

I know in my case I prayed quite simply one day that I wanted all of my music to ultimately be dedicated to God. I don't know if it really affected the quality of my music so much as continuing to focus on God keeps me humble and prevents me from becoming consumed by myself and my pride. It is about the music, it is about the Beauty, it is about God. I'd like to believe that perhaps God is rewarding this attitude of mine with good music... and hey, maybe God doesn't exist and all my thoughts are nonsense, but at the very least it is providing an intense and positive self-fulfilling prophecy to the way I do things in life.  To go around being all intellectual and negative about everything I highly doubt would be a viable alternative to the life affirming force that spirituality can be (for me).

[ahinton]

I know in my case I prayed quite simply one day that I wanted all of my music to ultimately be dedicated to God.

Well, leaving aside that, as Kagel is supposed to have said, "not all musicians believe in God, but they all believe in J S Bach", I wonder what God thinks of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, which IS dedicated to Him? (He'd probably be as frustrated as I am with it, in its imcompleted form, great as is is otherwise)...

Best,

Alistair