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Throughout history, music was a
mysterious art that was believed to be one of God's greatest gifts to
men. Music was known to enchant the human soul, control men's
emotions and draw men's thoughts to virtue--or vice.
While modern historians would
have us believe that human beings lived for millions of years in an
animal-like state, sacred Scripture teaches that man never lived without
the cultural dignity we might expect from the chief of God's creatures,
made after His own likeness. As far back as Genesis 4, we find
Jubal, who was the father of all musicians.
Profane history also
contradicts the modernists, for there is no record of any civilization,
even in the worst and most distant places among whom music was not a
central feature of their culture.
This leads to the deep
philosophical questions: Why is man musical? Where did this
interest originate? The answers to these questions confirm all
that Scripture teaches us, that inasmuch as musical harmony exists in
the mind of God and fills all creation, man is drawn to it as by a
magnet that he may fulfill his purpose as the chief of God's creatures
and glorify God with the divine gift of Reason.
NAXOS MUSIC LIBRARY
 Enrollment
in the CLAA's History of Music course requires that each family purchase
a 1-year subscription ($19.95) to the
Naxos Music Library. Student lessons in
the course are linked to sample recordings in the Naxos library which
not only allow your family to enjoy an amazing collection of history's
greatest music (over 5,000 CDs), but also guides your family to enjoy
related pieces and purchase works that will allow your family's music
listening to have focus and meaning.
In addition to the Naxos recordings, the
course also employs other freely available video and audio resources
that provide a rich course in music history. |
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COURSE INFO
As you would expect, the CLAA's Music
history course is no mere historical survey of the forms and performers
of music. This course is designed to help students
understand the theological and philosophical foundations of music and
trace their influence on the development of music through history.
We begin in the ancient middle east among
the Sumerians, Egyptians and Hebrews where the principles of music were
first discovered and masterfully demonstrated by King David. We
continue through Greek history, where a rich music tradition was
cultivated and personified in the legendary characters Orpheus and Pan.
With the founding of the Christian Church, we trace the perfection of
music under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as Christians work to
capture the truth, goodness, beauty--and mystery--of divine truth in
song.
Our course ends with a detailed study of the
modern composers and the ideas that drove their music up to the present
day.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
While Mr. Michael is opening the course, the
bulk of the CLAA's History of Music course will be written by Jared
Haselbarth, Assistant Academic Dean in the Religious Studies Dept.
at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.
Mr. Haselbarth studied at Franciscan U. of
Steubenville, earning a B.A. in Theology in 2001 and then earned his
M.A. in Religious Studies at St. Charles Seminary in 2005.
Most importantly, Jared brings an
understanding of the philosophical and theological roots of music that
will enlighten our study of its history. |
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