Music in the Spacing of the Spheres
Why is it that you can hear students’ singing voices emanating from the different classrooms of GCCA at almost any given moment of the school day? And why does GCCA begin and end its week with Cantabile? The answers to these questions are rooted in our classical Christian conviction that music reflects God’s order and beauty and is an effective means by which to learn other important truths.
The order of music has long been recognized. Pythagoras said poetically, “There is geometry in the humming of the strings; there is music in the spacing of the spheres.” Plato studied musical harmonies as a way of understanding the relationship between the individual and society. And Confucius believed that many fundamental truths about life could be ascertained by studying music and its relationship to mathematics. While these pre-modern giants divined an intricate connection between music and other disciplines, they did not identify God as being the source of that relation. The fact is that music works because math works, and math works because its objective grammar, order, and structure stem directly from God’s own order and constancy.
The aesthetics of music, too, bespeak God’s own creativity, beauty, and excellence. When the Psalmist invites us to “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts” (Ps 33:3), he uses the Hebrew verb yatab, which means here “to play beautifully” (cf., Isa 23:16; Ezek 33:32; 1 Sam 16:16). Elsewhere, the Psalmist summons us to make a “joyful” noise to the LORD, not just any noise (Ps 95:1). Here at GCCA we strive for beauty and excellence in fine arts because we believe that we are called to emulate (albeit imperfectly!) God’s creative attributes.
Last, the medium of music helps to convey important truths. Since music is both orderly and beautiful, it is a highly effective means of memorizing difficult content. This explains our use of jingles, songs, and timelines in the classrooms and our formation of a fine arts program. Students can remember over a dozen Hebrew vowels and several Latin noun declensions in a few minutes by learning a tune and lyric, as opposed to enduring the austerities of brute memorization. When coupled with hand-motions, tasteful inflection, and a consistent meter, music is an excellent pedagogical aid.
Speaking to the analogy that music has with the world’s many ideologies, Jean Sibelius once stated, “If we understood the world, we would realise that there is a logic of harmony underlying its manifold apparent dissonances.” At GCCA we are blessed to study and learn in an environment that recognizes that it is God in whom all subjects receive their meaning and purpose. While there is much we do not understand, God’s truth, beauty, and order inspire us to unravel the mysteries that we encounter daily. He has given us music as an aid in discovery and as a witness to himself.
By Dr. Preston Atwood, Headmaster