The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-03-13
Moral Influence Of Music.
BY L. D. RAY.


BY L. D. RAY.
Music is harmony Of sounds A dis
cord CRATES on the auricular nerve and
causes feeling akin to disgust, while
music has an opposite effect. All ami
nals love music, although man only, as
the highest grade of the animal kingdom,
has the power and ability to repeat a
succession of musical sounds. Yet all
created animate beings perform part of
the grand music of nature; and in con-
nection with the singing of birds, the
soft sad notes of the dove, the lively
joyous song of the red bird, the twitter of
robin, the deep cawing of the crow, the
quick savage notes of the hawk, the gen.
tie warble of the sparrow, the joyous,
saucy, defiant notes of the mocking bird,
all create music far above the power of
the human voice to excel Take from US
the singing birds--our sunshine comes
in ftful CLEANS. Remove from US all
music and we would rather not cumber
the earth with our sad presence. Yet
with all of these, we know not the effect
of their presence, but toll through life,
slaves to avarice and ambition, living in
the coarser sensibilities of our nature,
and giving no thought to the beautiful,
sublime and lovely. Why is this2 l
answer that we are afflicted with a love
for gain; we spend no time in singing,
we take no thought of the beautiful,
because our thoughts are drifting with
the channel, which terminates in the
river of avarice. Then let US think more
of music, let US repeat in the language of
David "of old" II will sing and give
praises even with my glory, Awake,
bop I Mill DO
early will Praise Thee, o Lord, among
the people, and l will sing praises unto
Thee among the Nations"
The rushing of the hurricane. the
rumbling of the distant thunder, the
rushing of the mighty waters, the sounds
of heat in the clouds of sultry day, all
appeal to the finer sensibilities of our
nature and. assist in teaching men the
sublimity of the works of CREATION and
all tend to inspire within our minds a
desire to attain to more nobler manhood
to follow those soul inspiring habits
which make men happier and better.
Let US see what would be the effect were
the musical principle of our nature to be
removed entirely. Man would be dis
gusted with the harmony of sounds, the
singing of the birds would produce a
feeling akin to hatred while now it is
something we love to hear. Discord and
disunion would prevail, ruin and riot
would have no moralizer, religious socie-
ties would die and become things of the
past, rapine, murder, and riot would pre-
vail without an interfering influence.
There is morality in music. We as a
people, could not live, as nation, could
not exist without its influence. When
we examine the human character we find
it to consist of bundle of habits each
formed after peculiar taste and incor-
porated within the great engineering g
m edium the brain-where a particular
/ place is assigned it and from whence it
rules as king, giving its orders which are
felt and obeyed, after its own peculiar
dictates, by the character at large, each
principle partaking in some measure OF
its influence and effect. These princi
piles are numerous, but of the grand
divisions there are about Al, each oi
which is subdivided into different char
acteristics and each characteristic reign
ing supreme within its own locality and
making its work known in the peculiar
expression of the countenance, "for 6
man may be known by his look and one
that hath understanding by his counter
ance." Of the Al grand divisions we
have Tune and Time which conjointly
power. Although all men love music
some are deficient in one of those attri
butes and consequently are not ready
singers; while one person has the organ
of time well developed and may be invar
iably trying to sing and yet unable tC
give the correct time and variation nee
| essaTy to good music. In another time
may be well developed and tune de
ficient, such a one can't sing any tune nc
odds how simple. There is an affinity
existing between the following organs
or principles of character, which are
closely allied to music; time, tune, order
sublimity, spirituality, comparison, ven
Grafton, language and imitation, all oi
which belong to the finer sensibilities oil
human nature. Should one be deficient
the deficit is marked on the countennnce
Should one be perverted, the perVersion
is marked on the features. When all are
active the love of the beautiful either ot
art or nature, is a manifest characteristic
of the actions. There are few persons
in whom one or more of these principles
are slightly deficient, and the result is
an Incidence and carelessness concerning
the investigation of the sublime and
the ennobling principles of music.
Although such cases exist, yet theirs is
not one on whom a sensible effect may
be produced by striking certain chords OF
a musical instrument. Should those
gentle vibratory waves of sound produce
no effect whatever, through auricular
nerves on the brain, the nervous system
takes up the vibrations and the effect
falls abruptly upon the brain with a
stunning concussional effect. 1t Is a
peculiar fact that certain deep intona-
tions, produced by heavy trills of a
musical instrument, affect the nerves OF
some persons in such manner as to
cause spasmodic contortions Of tho fea-
lures similar in appearance 70 these
caused by pain save the facial expression,
which is one of joy and rapture instead
of agony. OF the classes we have two
Sacred and Secular and each of these
classes sub divided or classed, as follows:
| ANTHEMS.
Devotional and praise.
MELODIES.
| Soy0r f. Wo~oAir -De-ct;cca hv-cns,
songs 6 ho-o, 2o>gs &C c.: l--scc, go e
Of praise.
SECULAR.
Sentimental songs, comic, serio-comlc,
| ohc ptap tai of 6II