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Military music has had the traditional function of inspiring and heightening interest in the military cause as well as stimulating troops to battle. That music for the military has been band music, characterized by percussion and fanfare is more than coincidental (even today, the military and state ceremonies of most nations include music of the military band rather than string music). Such music has a highly stimulative and physical effect on the listener, even if it is only toe tapping.
Ceremonial music reflects one of the earliest functional uses of music. It is a part of primitive cultures today just as it has been throughout history. Apparently it is viewed as an integral part of the ceremony and does much to lend to the formality of such occasions. Music can be used as a signal to draw attention to a particular part of the ceremony, such as playing "Hail to the Chief" to signal the arrival of the president of the United States, to create a feeling of patriotism, and to commemorate particular occasions that are considered important. Music serves to heighten the immediate importance of the occasion as well as to contribute toward its memorableness.
Major sporting events nearly always include ceremonial music. The opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games always involve special music, and the medal ceremonies include the playing of the national anthems of the recipient's countries. Nearly any Queen (or King) crowning ceremony, whether a high school homecoming event or the Miss World beauty contest, incorporates music into the ceremony.
The Urantia Book states that one way we can give enjoyment to our seraphim is through our "efforts in music, art, and real humor." (419) This is bonus number one in acquiring an appreciation of music. Bearing in mind that "The best music of Urantia is just a fleeting echo of the magnificent strains heard by the celestial associates of your musicians, who left but snatches of these harmonies of morontia forces on record as the musical melodies of sound harmonics" (500), any music which stimulates the person, not physically but "with the mind and spirit" (500) is spiritual. [Jesus connected music with worship in his discussions during his third preaching tour (1683)].
Music may go unnoticed to our conscious ear, but never to our emotions and unconscious (whilst prayerfully, providing a pathway from/to our superconscious). Hence the power of music as "spiritual communication" cannot be underestimated: "If Adam and Eve had only survived, then would you have had music in reality; but the gift of harmony, so large in their natures, has been so diluted by strains of unmusical tendencies that only once in a thousand mortal lives is there any great appreciation of harmonics. But be not discouraged; some day a real musician may appear on Urantia, and whole peoples will be enthralled by the magnificent strains of his melodies. One such human being could forever change the course of a whole nation, even the entire civilized world. It is literally true, 'melody has power a whole world to transform.' Forever, music will remain the universal language of men, angels, and spirits. Harmony is the speech of Havona."(500)
References
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians - Edited by S. Sadie
The Psychology of Music. D. Deutsch
Psychological Foundations of Music Behaviour - R. Radocy & J. Boyle (1979)
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