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“Whether you wish to comfort the sad, to terrify the happy, to encourage the despairing, to humble the proud, to calm the passionate, or to appease those full of hate?and who could number all these masters of the human heart, namely, the emotions, inclinations, and affections that impel men to evil or good? what more effective means than music could you find?” asked Martin Luther in his preface to Georg Rhau’s Symphoniae Iucundae.
While parents can turn to online filters to control the Internet activity of their children, many will find the task of screening music downloads far too difficult to tackle. The more clever of Christian teenagers might latch onto Luther’s spicier rebuke of those who would banish music altogether, quoting his caution: “A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.”
In his book “Infinite Playlists” recently republished by Kregel, Todd Stocker recalls Luther’s conviction that music should be given a place of great honor “next after theology.” Stocker offers parents a guideline in deciding which music is “acceptable and healthy” and which is not, first addressing God’s purpose for music.
“Ultimately, my goal is to help foster healthy conversations between you and your child?conversations about music, honoring God, and the importance of correct decisions when it comes to music and media,” he writes.
Unlike many books and websites that promote specific artists, bands, songs or genres of music, Stocker merely uses these as examples in making his points about the effects of music. The issue became personal to the author when his 13-year-old son wandered into a Virgin Records store while on vacation with Stocker’s parents, and then called to ask for counsel.
“I was expecting him to ask me my preference between Audio Adrenaline and Relient K (two very cool Christian bands) so I said, “Let me guess; you want to know if you can get a CD,” Stocker recalls.
“Yes!” the boy answered. “Which is better? Van Halen or Def Leppard?”
First asking how he could have raised such a rebel, Stocker eventually realized the need for a discussion on music choices, forming the basis for the book.
In making his case for the power of music, Stocker cites a study reported in Pediatrics magazine that found that “teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 who listen to music that contains degrading sexual lyrics were more likely to participate in sexual activity than others whose music lyrics simply talked about love and romance.”
While television, movies, and printed media have their share of objectionable content, the study revealed that sexual content is much more prevalent in popular music lyrics than in any other medium, according to the 2006 report.
“God has designed music to be a spokesperson for our emotions. Phrasing, melody, rhythm, and beat all contribute to the emotional impact of a song,” Stocker writes. He cites from 1 Samuel 16 Saul’s request that David play his harp to soothe his tormented soul after disobeying God.
He also addresses the emotional, physical and spiritual effects of music; genres of music; whether a difference can be found between Christian and secular music; and the impact of lyrics, rhythm and context of a song.
“You would never allow your children to drink gasoline even if it was their choice to do so,” Stocker reminds. “Neither should you let your children drink music that could cripple them forever.”
At the same time, he insists that parents help their children know the reason behind such decisions, offering a series of common-sense and biblically-based questions that go far beyond “because I said so.”
Plenty of books and ministries have tackled this subject from a Christian perspective. Few have offered such practical help in less than a 100 pages. Parents and youth ministers alike will find the resource useful as the accessibility of music continues to increase through online venues.
