In the United States, music is an almost entirely secular form of expression. Musicians love to toy with themes of demons and divinity, but it is uncommon to see artists use their gift of song for sincere worship. As a kid, my impression of music as faith encompassed Christian rock, which impersonates popular artists, and the Jewish folk tunes I sang along to on holidays. I never really considered religious music as anything more than poor impressions of popular genres with a faith flavor. Recently, I challenged myself to see if any of it was worth listening to. I would now like to take the next few minutes of your time to share a few examples of religious music that found its way into my playlists.
I decided to begin my journey in familiar territory by listening to the religious music I knew the most about. I did not grow up in a religious household, but like many Jewish kids, I have a soft spot for The Maccabeats, the New York-based a capella group. They explicitly advertise themselves as incorporating humor into their music, but even with this knowledge in mind, I was surprised at how self-aware their songs are. Much of their discography consists of parodies and covers of popular songs with new lyrics about Jewish holidays, practices, and traditions.
My past self always believed that throwing a Jewish blanket over regular pop and rock hits is a bit cringeworthy, but now I feel that such feelings are probably by design. The lyrics are intentionally silly and tongue-in-cheek, made mostly to educate those unfamiliar with holiday stories and get a laugh out of those who do. Big hits like their cover of “Dayenu,” the classic Passover song, “Purim Song,” or the Les Misérables Passover medley are infectiously catchy and fun without being insincere. The group occasionally dabbles in original songs as well, often to speak about current events, such as the 2020 song “Say Your Name” released to honor the murder of George Floyd and condemn police brutality. I also took some time to explore other genres of Jewish music I became familiar with in middle school, like Klezmer folk music, which I enjoyed greatly and also recommend.
Researching for this article introduced me to an important distinction in religious music; while modern groups like The Maccabeats are religious in nature, they still have wider appeal to non-Jews and are made for entertainment first; religious classical music was made with the explicit purpose of worship. I was determined to find any classical religious music that would appeal to the common ear, and I think the best choice would be Indian classical songs. Indian music, as well as some other Southeast Asian music cultures, is structured around ragas. Ragas are musical frameworks akin to modes, but are far more diverse and plentiful, and generally incorporate much more improv than the structured compositions of Western music. I am not qualified to explain their structural nature, but I can explain what they are used for. Performative dance and music are integral to Hinduism, and ragas are often thought of as being part of the natural world rather than a conception of the performer. Different ragas are made to be played at different times of day and under different circumstances of the natural world, such as weather events, and different kinds of raga have been refined over many centuries to create unique emotional experiences. I personally enjoy Raga Maria, which evokes the rich landscape of a sunset, and Raga Desh, which intends to channel joy and excitement for the monsoon season. Instruments like the sitar and zithers often lead Indian classical music with strings, but flutes and drums are often present as well. I find this genre of music to be universally relaxing, traits inherent to its nature as a form of meditation, and suggest it to anyone looking to spice up a study playlist!
These are but two examples of the rich and diverse nature of music and faith as a partnership. As I mentioned before, I am not an expressly religious person, but music is a universal form of expression that can be enjoyed by anyone. If mentions of the divine have been a put-off for you in the past, I heavily encourage you to open your mind to something different; who knows, maybe you’ll like it!
