“My music is the spiritual expression of what I am — my faith, my knowledge, my being … When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hangups … I want to speak to their souls. “
- John Coltrane

Music has a way of calming anxiety, reminiscent of the beautiful spaces and places in life that we wish we could entertain all the time. Every note and every beat in the music is significant to the message the musician is trying to portray. Every tone is important, every sound is unique and the very expression of the music gives you incite into the mood and the mind of the artist. Music is a language that when spoken correctly can heal the hurting, bring joy to the sad, uplift the downtrodden, reinforce dreams, and connect true love. Music is God’s unspoken language of change. As a musician, I believe that the language must be articulated in such a way that people’s lives are positively affected. What is the responsibility of a musician and/or an artist? Is it important for them to put out positive content?

This is just something I was thinking about today. What do you think? I was changing channels on my television and passed through MTV. Videos were on the screen and they were disappointing. I am very disappointed by the music I am hearing and the videos I am seeing on TV. The lyrical content is focused on sex, drugs and behavior that does not uplift people as a whole. One of the things I loved about the music of the seventies was the ability they had to talk about the problems of the world and address social issues through the art-form. Who can forget “That’s the way of the world” by Earth, Wind, and Fire or “Someday we’ll all be free” by Donny Hathaway? Who can forget the songs and the music that made us think like “Sentimental Mood”?

There is nothing wrong with addressing love through the medium of music, but it becomes less significant when the song only expresses the physical relationship between man and woman. Songs like “If its Magic” and”Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder became classics because they talk about the emotional connection of love. Jazz artists, soul singers from the seventies, many hip hop artists, gospel artists, and neo-soul artists have used music to address the human spirit, social issues and to invoke change. On the other hand, many artists of today are socially irresponsible in their music.

Is it OK to say that you call women and people out of their name, use sexually explicit lyrics and constant vulgarity in the name of entertainment? Is this just an excuse to ignore the responsibility and the spiritual effects music has on people? In my opinion, music is more than just something to make people “feel good,” music is a universal language of sorts. When spoken correctly, this language reminds people of the good times, inspires people to make it, connects people to their Creator, and reminds people of the beauty of love. Shouldn’t modern musicians and artists be more conscious of the music they are making? When music is written, performed and articulated correctly, it truly becomes “A Love Supreme”…

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