I'm Native American, but not enough to get a casino. Having buffalo for dinner tonight as a matter of fact.

Don't feel bad. I'm Black and I never got my 40 acres and a mule either. Maybe I shouldn't have insisted that it be in Malibu. BTW, Buffalo Wings don't count as Buffalo. Also, as you know, Don, I too am part Native American (Grandmother 100%), so if I ever DO get that 40 acres, I'm building a casino on it.

chas

Uh, this may be as far South as this thread can go .

I think I may have a higher calling in the music business. Sometimes when I walk inot a gig someone says;

" Jesus Christ !! Are you here again ? "


Only adding some lightness to a heavy discussion.

LOL Bill exactly what the thread needed a little lightness.

I am an Atheist...

Evidence and Reason go a long way with me. As does virtue. Regardless of the motivation, I have great respect for those who devote some, most or all of their lives to helping out those in need.

Bringing this back to music, there I times I feel like a hypocrite performing gospel songs, and seeing how much some in my audiences seem to be moved by them.

In the end, I perform them respectfully, and plan on doing so for the duration of my performing days. I've been told I perform these songs as if I believed as a believer would, and I guess that's ok with me.

I don't advertise my beliefs, nor am I hired because of them.

Tx Graham!

Henni

It's amazing how a post that supposed to be an invitation to those that have religious beliefs to discuss how it influences their music and their attitude to music gets completely ransacked by people who openly accept they don't have any religious belief or who are anti religious.

Nigel put a sticky thread at the top of the forum specifically to deal with this . For peace sake read it and if it applies move on ! And I say that respectfully to those that have contributed perhaps Inappropriately so far .

We are four pages in to this topic and not one post has actually been about the topic.

So I will say this, I was brought up in a religious household and music and worship was always conjoined. So much of my attitude towards music has come from my religious upbringing. However I completely can relate to those that still feel a "spiritual connection " to great music even in a secular environment. There is no rational mind that can be used to explain why a Series of notes or chords or rhythms can affect different people in so many different ways. But as a musician that has an awareness of the impact that music can have on people for both good and negative, I make sure that I have thought about what I'm going to play how I'm going to play and who I am playing to whenever I am asked to play . I believe that the instinct of being musically creative comes from God. I don't know of any other species that specifically uses music to encourage and uplift and motivate by intention or accident .

I would be interested to hear other peoples contributions ......on this topic .

God bless .

Worth

I just finished a rather long response to the above responses. I decided NOT to post it but to post the following instead.

Since I recognize I’m not considered one of the members of the “inner circle” here anyway and since I “say it like it is” anyway, I’m going to state.....

First of all this post, and it’s true meaning (about personal experiences associated with a possible Higher Power), spiraled right out of control with what I considered to be an incendiary post by Chas directed at Henni.....that then became the new topic.

Second, I’m absolutely shocked by what I read here.....the anger, the atheism proclamations, the quick judgment calls, the misunderstanding about should you be playing “religious songs,“ political views about religion that have more to do with killings and control of the population than with music, religion in the schools, the attack on Henni for trying to do something to make the world a better place (would you have more respect for him if he were a drug dealer selling his wares on a street corner?).....and, above all, the disrespect for another member who was genuinely seeking comments about a topic that has been important to him for many years.....that member being ME! I’m a very deep thinker and this topic I brought up I’ve never been able to discuss with anyone.

I never viewed the SynthZone as another DisneyWorld, but then I never saw it as an arena for gladiatorial combat either!

Yes, I considered putting the question in the Bar, but decided to lay it down here as most of you know something about me by now, where I’m coming from, my recent “burnout,” my view on other issues, my personality, my curiosities about music and life in general, etc. In the Bar, I would be just another Joe Smith coming out of nowhere. Besides, I was of the opinion, that if the topic is not appealing to you or goes against YOUR beliefs, then the member would just pass over it rather then take it upon himself to enter into battle!

I’m understanding more than ever now why they say if you want to stay on friendly terms with someone.....don’t discuss politics or religion (the weather seems to be a safe subject.....or is even that grounds for volatility now?).

I think in the future, being painfully aware that any club, anywhere is going to be a microcosm of the real world, I’m going to stick with questions about keyboards, speakers, and, maybe, what’s the best way to barbecue hamburgers?

BTW.....points to Chas for having enough consideration to apologize for my post being tossed into the SynthZone paper shredder (“on behalf of all the miscreants who contributed to the southward direction of this thread, our sincere apologies to Mark79100, the OP.”)

And, above all, an overabundance of thanks to Spalding for introducing some common sense and hearing what I actually said and maybe explaining it better than I could have (message #390925).

Mark (with no red letters this time around!)

Mark-I think if you put a juicy bone like this out there, you're going to get a wide array of responses that truly cover the waterfront. Surely, you realized that before you posted, yes?

To the specific question of a higher power, for those of us who don't believe in one, where does our inspiration, abilities, skills, etc. come from?

I say the higher power would be roughly equivalent to the degree people have a willingness to work at one's craft, the sum-total of one's life experience and their awareness/consciousness of that, and luck.

In other words, I say each of us is, in a way, the "higher power." We've put the time in, we've worked at our craft and allowed life to influence our art. I also think luck has a great deal to do with it as so often in life circumstances beyond one's control set the course we pursue.

Its a trait that is inherent in us as a species. Some have developed it to a stunningly high degree. Others enjoy it passionately via others. While it's music for us, it might be poetry, dance, sculpture, painting, writing, etc. for someone else.


To me, it is an expression of our humanity. That others wish to give credit to some other thing or concept, doesn't bother me in the least.

By the way, be nice to Christians who proselytize. They are doing it because they love you! God gives you perfect freedom to agree or disagree, but please also do so in love! Penn Jillette, British comedian and well known outspoken atheist explains it very well in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owZc3Xq8obk

Blessings