On Silence in Music

Stolen from another church musician (for a good reason.)

Quoting a music teacher:

While helping someone practice recently, I noted that he was not picking his finger up off of one of the keys soon enough when changing chords. When I corrected his mistake, I remarked that, "In music, the absence of sound is every bit as important as the presence of sound. If all notes sounded all the time, it would be cacophonous. Silence is required for the notes to become music."

Which goes to a larger point about church music, foreshadowed in the OT.

Then the LORD said, "Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by." A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD--but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake--but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire--but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound. When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. (New American Bible, 1 Kings 19:11-13a)

Curious that some do not yet understand that, eh?