CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter envelopes the ideas, finished researches, conceptions or

conclusions, methodologies and others. Those that were included in this chapter helps

in familiarizing information that are relevant and similar to the present study. It presents

the related literature and studies about the lived experiences of the Agusan National

High School (ANHS) Senior High School students who are choir members and how

music helped them to develop their faith.

To comprehend the topic all must know what is it about, according to Merriam—

Webster music is the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in

combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and

continuity. We don’t need science to grasp that music helps us uplift our mood and can

give us tranquility. Music moves us in plentitude ways. It helps us modify the conscious

state of mind or predominant emotion, stir it and even make us change the way in which

someone conducts oneself. Such is the power of music that it can affect us even when

we are consciously not listening to it. Thus, it could also influence one’s spirituality

whenever it is used for worshipping and helps reduce stress and anxiety of an individual

as well.

Several studies have shown that music therapy can inhibit stress, reducing

anxiety and neurohormonal responses to psychological stress, and also preoperative

anxiety and postoperative pain.

The effectiveness of music therapy may depend on the type of music adopted in

relation to the emotional perception of a patient (Leardi, 2014). Music was presented as

a pleasant, potentially reinforcing event and stimulus for deep body relaxation, positive

imagery and mood, and clear thinking, incompatible with worrying (Hanser, 2013).

Faith gives everyone a meaningful contribution as it shapes our life purposes,

heightens our hope, and it could give us a deeper worldview. Faith is not just all about

different religions, it is more than that. Faith is crucial for living, so as music. Music can

soothe the broken-hearted. Listening to music could affect many factors in one’s life

especially to adolescents (Winnie White, 2014).

Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37, NIV). It is important to

understand what connects with an adolescent’s heart, faith, and mind in order to teach

them to love their God. Moreover, this examines the effects of music to the adolescents

and how it connects the faith.

The dominant form of worship is expressed through music and singing in many

churches. Worship through singing is a significant portion of the church service. The

social structure of the local church body imposes itself upon musical meaning: “the

arrangement of the seating, the style of the building, the direction of the worship leader

and worship band are constitutive elements in both the environment and the guiding of

the participants and regulating the practice of worship” (Johnstone, 2010).

Music ministry plays a critical role in the success of any church. The role of the

music minister can be overwhelming, especially to newer, inexperienced musicians

entering the world of ministry. No other position in ministry combines the very different

and distinct disciplines of pastoring a congregation, leading a church in worship, and

conducting the various musical groups of a church. Most professionals entering music

ministry have training in music education or performance but have very little background

in ministry. Most materials available to music ministers are based either on music

performance or pastoral ministry but often not on bot (Sharp, 2010).

Music has a powerful effect on human experience. Students of religious

phenomena have long recognized that music transcends our understanding and

appeals to our intuitive nature. It is not surprising, then, that music played an important

part in the worship of biblical communities, as a way of approaching the mystery of God

and of expressing the joy of his presence (Leonard, 2010).

Christians have an unprecedented opportunity to build upon their rich religious

music heritage. At a time when the trend is to replace sacred hymns with secular songs

that stimulate people physically rather than elevating them spiritually, it is well to

remember that God summons us to worship Him in "the beauty of holiness"

(Bacchiocchi, 2014).

One of roles of music is to help the development of faith of a person. A worshiper

is a person who has an extravagant respect or admiration to God. Based on a research,

music helps worshipers to give coherence and direction in their lives. It links them in

shared trusts and loyalties with others and grounds their personal stances and

communal loyalties in a sense of relatedness to a larger frame of reference.

Worshippers enable to face and deal with the challenges of human life and death,

relying on that which has the quality of ultimacy in their lives (Fowler & Dell, 2011).
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Through music, they learn how to express themselves and apply what they have learnt

to their own lives. The worshipers will not be asked to worship in a faith which is not

their own, but to gain understanding through the music of other faiths (Parrott, 2012).

Music helps connect people to God. As what (Fowler & Dell, 2011) said, music is

part of an individual’s cumulative traditions and center of value. It is our goal that

worship in song be a vital part of each believer's life, allowing God to mold our attitudes

and actions as we give voice to the "new song" He has placed in our hearts (Fowler &

Dell, 2011). In order to teach worshippers to love the Lord their God this way, it is

important to understand what connects with an individual’s heart, faith, and mind. This

shows just how powerful music can be in a worshiper’s life cognitively, emotionally, and

physically (Moustakas, 2014).

Cumulative traditions are only around as long as one generation passes them

down to the next generation (Fowler, 2010). Churches are especially concerned about

reaching their youth for the Gospel’s sake.

Once teenagers have been involved in a youth group ministry, the chances of

them staying in church are higher Religious learning modelling is being shown to the

teens and which practices are most prevalent (O’Connor et al., 2013).

Youth ministry focuses on several aspects of spiritual growth. The spiritual

awareness is to help adolescents grow deeper in their spiritual lives and help them

develop a sense of holiness as they learn more about who they really are. This is about

empowering youth to experience God personally and grow spiritually towards a holy

lifestyle pleasing to God (Ji & Tameifuna, 2011).

Music touches our lives in fascinating ways. One important window in our lives

where music profoundly impacts us is our developmental years. According to research

analysis using Spotify usage data, our music taste evolves rapidly from age 14 to 25,

then a little slower from age 25 to 33, and then it flattens out after that. Our teenage

years going into our early 20s is a period of restless exploration and rapid development

and the music that enters our lives during this period gets embedded in those neural

wirings, staying in our memory for the rest of our lives. This implies that music is a gift to

everyone and that everyone should offer back this gift to our Creator also as a gift by

our singing and praising (Gonzalvo, 2018).

The musical involvement of people over the centuries is fundamentally

interwoven with spiritual experiences. (Seifert, 2011) Music makes worship and how

worship makes music in Evangelical Churches Music is a nearly universal feature of

congregational worship in American churches. (Kelman, 2018)

Christian musicians know of the obligation to make music as agents of God's

grace. They make music graciously, whatever its kind or style, as ambassadors of

Christ, showing love, humility, servant hood, meekness, victory, and good example.

(Best, 2010) The study of Fung (2016) said that Music draws on body, space, time and

relationships to offer a sacred experience. Music makes personal, social, emotional and

spiritual connections with people. 

According to Mahoney (2018) when we put God first, when we focus on His path

for us, He will make anything possible. Self-esteem is a topic that concerns many

people today. (Hall, 2011) 

The study of Im (2017) proved that engaging to the music ministry could help you

learn and appreciate the sacred art of spiritual care that by engaging to different church

activities, you will be able to restore your faith to the Almighty.

Vicente (2016) clarified that faith is the biggest catalyst to changing one's

personality and self-improvement.

Andrew (2016) explained that being surrounded with other religious people who

have the same morals and beliefs as you could produce a good impact to your attitude

and could help you to learn how to easily adjust and communicate without being shy.

Music needs to be a vital part of youth ministries in churches today. The church

needs to do something to connect with them on a musical level. Adolescence is a

difficult time period. Generally speaking, this time of life is when people experience

more independence, expanded world experiences, and new contexts of interactions.

Children are starting to look more outside of the home for influences. This is the perfect

opportunity for the church to capitalize on such a healthy outlet such as Christian music.

The related literatures indicate the effectiveness and huge impact of music to people,

specifically and especially to those music ministry members who have lived experiences

of developing their faith through music.