The Varieties of Musical Experience

In the Wikepedia article on William James' book : The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature, the following quote is presented:

"Scientific theories are organically conditioned just as much as religious emotions are; and if we only knew the facts intimately enough, we should doubtless see 'the liver' determining the dicta of the sturdy atheist as decisively as it does those of the Methodist under conviction anxious about his soul. When it alters in one way the blood that percolates it, we get the Methodist, when in another way, we get the atheist form of mind."

Perhaps in a similar way, we could come up a scientific explanation for the variety of musical experiences that determine how one becomes a hip-hop fan, a jazz devotee or an old-time musician. Of course, as an English Major, I read a few of Henry James works (William's brother), but must confess to only owning (but not reading) a couple of books written by Wiliam James. And I won't be writing a treatise: my discussion of musical experiences will mostly be my own, perhaps as a start toward a musical autobiography.

I just started reading a book about the Carter Family (mentioned in a previous post), and not surprisingly "Church Music" plays an important part in the shaping of their careers as old time musicians. A.P. Carter had the best bass voice in the choir and his wife Sara had an almost magical contralto. Maybelle, the 3rd member of the Carter Family, was Sara's cousin and married AP's brother Ezra. The Carter family got their start as a group singing for church events.

Until I was five, my Dad was a Methodist Minister - he preached at a few churches in South Dakota before moving to Minnesota where he became social worker. My earliest musical memories are from about age 4 and involved singing in church or at a church (at this point the memories themselves are suspect since I am really remembering the remembering).

I had a pure boy soprano voice and was singing solos in church by the time I was in first grade. I know that one hymn I sang was In the Garden, but really had no idea what it was about until I read an explanation a few year's ago printed in the New Century Hymnal used by the UCC church I go to. I'm not aware of any recordings of my singing before my voice changed, but I know I had a good and high soprano range - high g's and a's were no problem. My voice changed late, so if I'd been in the right place in England, I might have been singing with a boy's choir on Christmas Eve. I remember a youth choir in 8th grade where I was the only boy; then, as now I had the loudest voice in the choir. In high school (as a tenor) I sang with the boy's glee club. I had started guitar and with my friend Dan (banjo) and Rick (bass) we used to play as a folk trio (circa 1963-1965); I usually sang the lead part.

After my voice changed (10th grade), I always sang tenor since I had been a soprano before; however, my range is probably closer to baritone or maybe 2nd tenor. In college, I tried out for, but didn't make it into, the Singing Knights of Carleton, a male octet. At Carleton I didn't sing in the college choir (that would have meant getting up early on Sundays, not part of the life style). I did continue to sing folk songs but wasn't in any organized group - I think I may have performed once or twice, but most of it was in the dorm kind of jamming stuff. Of course, Lynn and I met at Carleton and spent a lot of time singing and playing our guitars (as well as piano/cello etc).

After college and into my thirties I didn't do any organized singing other than jamming with folks I had met at the Black Forest Inn. In the late 80's I move from restaurant work into a true 'day' job and starting going to Church with Lynn and the kids. After ushering a couple times I thought I might as well join the choir; and I continue as one of two tenors. A few years ago Lynn and I got into Sacred Harp singing through our niece Kim and our neighbors Tim and Minja. One thing I really like about Sacred Harp is that loud singing is encouraged and there is no one telling me to tone it down.

Lynnhurst church has had an annual variety show since 1987 called the Lynnhurst Home Companion; for this, Lynn and I have performed with a once-a-year group called the Lynnhurst Hot Dish String Band (I've written a bit more on this here). Through this group I've learned and sung a number of gospel (and parody-gospel) tunes. For the most part; however, gospel music doesn't figure in most of the bob-i-lynn repertoire; although we do have a couple that are performance ready.

However, even if you are not in a formal 'gospel' group, you can't perform old-time and traditional music without taking notice of the tremendous influence that the varieties of religious experiences have had on the varieties of American musical experiences.