First Piano Lesson Jules A. Muenier You Can Order This Art Print from AllPosters.com

Good Music There are two kinds of music: good music and bad music. My father used to call the bad music "noisic" because he thought it was too loud and noisy and he did not believe that it deserved the title of "music," Good music refines the character and elevates the soul. It inspires the human spirit. Bad music is degrading and motivates a person to do ill to himself and his fellow man. It creates depression and lethargy and stomps out creativity. It has been said that people who are the most creative are those who play or listen to classical music.

To be a well rounded person, it is good to know a variety of music. Our traditional hymns are important. Today, if we are not careful to sing them, we will raise an entire generation of people who do know the old, old songs of the church. There are a host of hymn books on the market, including "Songs of the Church" by Howard Publishing Company and many others. A good Psalter (the Psalms put to melody) is also advisable. Americans do not sing anymore, as one octogenarian put it. There was a time in America where people sang as they walked down country roads, in town, or sitting on the front porch. Now, because music is so available from the car radio or the stereo at home, they are listening to it rather than singing it. There is no substitute for singing. Listening is passive, but singing is active. Singing hymns create interaction between you and your Heavenly Father. Know a variety of hymns and sing them often. They are divided into types: praise, prayer, encouragement, testimony, warfare, work and service, worship, salvation,love, revival, teaching, and many more. Singing hymns is heavenly, and lifts the heart. "Earth holds no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal" as the song goes.

Two Girls At the Piano Pierre Auguste Renoir You Can Order This Art Print from AllPosters.com

Our pioneers had a special kind of music which is unique. They sang about life on the prairie and travelling with herds of cows. They sang about the flies and the heat. They sang about the hawk circling the sky. There was something innocent and sweet in the songs of the pioneers. These are also called Western songs, and it is good to know them , for they remind us of our history. They include many spiritual songs and hymns as well. Patriotic music is also very important. We need sing the songs which make our hearts grateful for our country.

Con Amore Edmund Blair Leighton You Can Order This Art Print from AllPosters.com

Piano concertos, stringed trios, and other types of instrumentals can be soothing, but keep in mind that these can be used in a corrupt manner to create music which debases and does not build society. It can bring out the baser instincts of mankind. Music which demeans marriage, home and family or music which encourages rebellion and violence and "do as you please" is not beneficial to the human spirit. It can only tear down society, not build it. There is information available on the harm of rock music, which can explain this more fully. Another highly recommended book that will increase your appreciation for classical music is called "The Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers."