056 057 The spiritual metaphysics of music Kayiza Mukasa Music for most is a tool for focus, study and enjoyment. But for others in the past, it was a way of connecting with the more spiritual side of the human experience, and that’s what will be the focus, starting with a Jazz Artist, John Coltrane. John Coltrane – Biography John Coltrane was an American Saxophonist who was born in 1926 in the state of Carolina, not very much involved in Jazz until after he stopped serving in the army. His Jazz career was beginning to see some fruition in the 50’s when he was in Miles Davis’s band and worked with Thelonius Monk, both veterans of their craft. However his heroin drug abuse caused him to wear down his relations with the band and therefore got kicked out of Miles Davis’s band in 1957. After being fired he went in a room and went ‘cold turkey’ for 30 days. The experience changed him spiritually. John Coltrane – Religious Reform This significant event within his life is what led him to have a ‘spiritual awakening’ within the same year. His quote describes this thoroughly, ‘During the year 1957, I experienced by the grace of God a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time, in gratitude, I humbly asked to be given the means and privilege to make others happy through music.’ His spiritual turnover led him to recover from his addiction completely and began ‘finding the truth’ by studying various religions and their sacred texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, Quran, Bible, The Cabala, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism the works of Sri Ramakrishna, the Hidatsa and many more. He also took an interest with the instruments these various religions used, with the Indians using certain modes depending on which way you play it, as they believed sound itself is a god, and the sound ‘Ohm’ is the way of connecting with the universe. These influences are prominent in his works ‘My Favorite Things’ and ‘India’ on the album Impressions. Within his various pieces in his expansive discography, ‘A Love Supreme’, a 4 part musical exploration to god, was the The Spiritual Metaphysics of Music Music for most is a tool for focus, study and enjoyment. But for others in the past, it was a way of connecting with the more spiritual side of the human experience, and that’s what will be the focus, starting with a Jazz Artist, John Coltrane. John Coltrane – Biography John Coltrane was an American Saxophonist who was born in 1926 in the state of Carolina, not very much involved in Jazz until after he stopped serving in the army. His Jazz career was beginning to see some fruition in the 50’s when he was in Miles Davis’ band and worked with Thelonius Monk, both veterans of their craft. However his heroin drug abuse caused him to wear dow his relations with the b nd and therefore got kicked out of Mil s Davis’ band in 1957. After being fired he went in a room and went 'cold turkey' for 30 days and had experience then changed with spirituality. John Coltrane – Religious Reform This significant event within his life is what led him to have a ‘spiritual awakening’ within the same year. His quote describes this thoroughly, 'During t e year 1957 I experienc d by the grace of God a spiritual awakening which was to lead me to a richer, fuller, more productive life. At that time in gratitude i umbly asked to be give the means nd privilege to m ke o hers h ppy through music.’ His spiritual turnover led him to recover from is addiction completely and began ‘finding the truth’ by studying various religions and their sacred texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, Quran, Bible, The Cabala, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism the works of Sri Ramakrishna, the Hidatsa and many more. He also took an interest with the instruments these various religions used, with the Indians using certain modes depending on which way you play it, as they believed sound itself is a god, and the sound ‘Ohm’ is the way of connecting with the universe. These influences are prominent in his works ‘My Favorite Things’ and ‘India’ o the album Impres ions. Within his various piece in his expansive discography, ‘A Love Supr me’, a 4 part musical most prominent source that actively showed his religious reform through music as the modes he used were most commonly used in classical Indian music with the Sitar, (Ravi Shankar was his main influence and friend). The use of the Gong is also another religious motif from his religious endeavors. His experiences of the various religions made his main way of devotion through his music, especially in ‘A Love Supreme’. His widespread knowledge of religion made his belief to be one of all of them combined, saying that there’s truth in all of them. ‘The Truth itself doesn’t have any name on it to me, and each man has to find it for himself’. Bach was another prominent musical figure who also believed music and religion intertwined, but his take on it is the main difference. Johan Sebastian Bach – Biography Bach was a German Composer born in 1685 in the humble town of Eisenach. He later went on to become an accomplished pianist and ‘Kapellmeister’ (conductor) for his local church and later on for Leopold of Anhalt Köthen, creating the Brandenburg Concerto and much more popular pieces. Due to poor relations however he ended up becoming more of an active freelancer and choral composer. As he was a devout Christian, most of his works were for the church, with pieces such as the St Matthew Passion and much more. He believed that the ‘ultimate end or final purpose of all music is nothing other than the praise of god and the recreation of the soul. When this is not taken into account then there is no true music, only a devilish bawling and droning’. His ideologies closely linked with the works of Plato, who believed that Reality was living in mathematical harmony, and so was music, with his personal favorite being the Dorian Scale. Both musicians assimilate religion and music closely, with some using it as a form of devotion and the other using it as a form of praise, but ultimately both believe in the divinity and sacredness of music, which evidently influenced their careers heavily. religious reform through music as the modes he used were most commonly used in classical Indian music with the Sitar (Ravi Shankar was his main influence and friend) and the use of the Gong is also another religious motif from his religious end avors. His experiences of the various religions made his main way of devotion through his music, especially in ‘A Love Supreme’. His widespread knowledge of religion made his belief to be one of all of them combined, saying that there’s truth in all of them. 'The Truth itself doesn’t have any name on it to me, and each man has to find it for himself'. Bac was another prominent musical figur who also believed music and religion intertwined, but his take on it is the main difference. Johan Sebastian Bach – Biography Bach was a German Composer born in 1685 in the humble town of Eisenach, who later went on to become an accomplished pianist and ‘Kapellmeister’ (conductor) for his local church and later on for Leopold of Anhalt Köthen, creating t e Brande bu g Concerto and muc more popular pieces. Due to poor relations however he ended up becoming more of an active freelancer and choral composer. As he was a devout Christian, most of his works were for the church, with pieces such as the St Matthew Passion and much more. He believed that the ‘ultimate end or final purpose of all music is nothing other than the praise of god and th recreation of the soul. When this is not taken into account the ther is no ru mu ic, only a devilish bawling and droning’. His ideologies closely linked wi the work of Plato, who beli ed that Reality was living in mathematical harmony, and so was music, with his personal favorite being the Dorian Scale. Both musicians assimilate religion and music closely, with some using it as a form of devotion and the other using it as a form of praise, but ultimately both believe in the divinity and sacredness of music, which evidently influenced their careers heavily. Kayiza Mukasa
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