Creating room for silence

Hi all,

The minister at our church spoke this past Sunday about "Finding Time for Meaning". In his sermon, he quoted 20th-century composer Arnold Schoenberg on the importance of rests in music, and how that symbolizes the importance of silence in our lives.

It brought to mind another quote by Arvo Pärt, contemporary Estonian composer (and subject of my doctoral dissertation): "How can one fill the time with notes worthy of the preceding silence?" I play a short musical interlude between the sermon and time for joys & concerns, and was inspired to insert long pauses after each phrase. It was amazing how many people paid attention to silence in a portion of the service that's usually background "traveling music".

We have trouble as a society with handling silence. Think about all the things by which we're bomarded every day:

• background Muzak
• TV screens simultaneously filled with the current show and ads for upcoming ones
• speakers booming in cars driving down the street
• talking automated check-outs at Wal-Mart
• cell phones ringing in every room we enter

We hear so much every day, and yet I think that, as a culture, all of us have lost some of the ability to truly listen. I get invitations all the time from community organizations to have one of the choirs perform for them at a luncheon or other function where they want "entertainment", but I rarely accept, because we would be just another element of audio "background radiation". To really let choral music touch the soul, the audience has to be placed in an environment that allows for some silence to let the music seep through the spirit.

I encourage you to find some silent time in your busy lives. Have a great fall break!
RCB