ABSTRACT
The chapters in this section move from music that is rooted in local soil to the realms of spirituality. Here we discuss five pieces of music that are used to create or maintain a relationship between humans and the divine, and we ask: “Why is music so important to religious practice in so many different cultures around the globe? Why is it an indispensable part of the rituals that forge these links between the earthly and the spiritual domain?” Music does spiritual work in many diverse ways: by expressing devotion, aiding meditation or inducing ecstasy, acting as an offering to the gods, and even creating channels through which humans and sprits can meet or commune. At a more prosaic level, music is used to teach sacred texts and myths, to regulate behavior, to draw people together and to display the richness and beauty of a religious culture or the piety of its followers. Music’s key role in all these spheres may be explained in part by its special ability to enable powerful collective experiences and forge group identities. Also crucial is its affective force, its ability to transform states of mind and to transport listeners spiritually to other places, whether through the excitement of a group ritual, through solitary meditative practice, or simply listening to a piece of recorded music.
