"The Sound of Music"

Often, it is said that music is a universal language. For me, that means that music is understood in all seven continents of the world, in all of the thousands of capitals of the world, in all one hundred and ninety-three countries of the world, and in every hamlet and village of the earth. Although words are different from language to language and dialect to dialect, the universal connection that music has that connects us to it and leads us to like or dislike it is the 'sound.' According to the Infoplease English Dictionary, sound is:

1. The sensation produced by stimulation of the hearing organs by the vibrations transmitted through the air or other medium,

2. The particular auditory sound of music,

3. Any auditory effect – any audible vibrational disturbance; and

4. A noise, vocal utterance, musical tone or the like.

I am told that from an early age, I had an awareness of sounds and a sensitive ear to them all like every day noises: a baby's cry, a passing truck, a whispering willow, a barking dog, a clanking noise, a flying plane; musical instruments: i.e., a piano, organ, violin, flute, harmonica, harp, drums, cello, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, tambourine, guitar, bass guitar, and the piccolo. And, to the volume of sound: loud, soft, long, sustained, staccato, crescendos, decrescendos; and sound pitch: high, low, sharp, and flat. When I was growing up, all of these sounds were known to me simply as 'vibrations' that were foreign to my everyday common ear.

'Sounds of My Youth'

Most children respond to loud noises, sudden noises, and conversely, to sounds that calm them like the sound of a lullaby. Grade school sounds of 'Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star,' 'Bah-Bah Black Sheep Have You Any Wool,' and 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat,' were songs that I heard sung repeatedly as a child, and now the sound of these songs still have meaning even today. For me, these early 'sounds of music' had a special meaning – I simply loved them all!!!

Another sound that had special meaning to me growing up in the 1950's was the patriotic songs like: 'This Is My Country!' 'My Country Tis Of Thee,' 'America the Beautiful,' and of course, Francis Scott Keys', 'Star Spangled Banner.' The 50's were the times of the Cold War coming out of the Second World War in Europe, and all the propaganda was geared toward love of country, love of family, and love of freedom. In the Wards' household in South Philadelphia, among the poor 'colored' or 'Negro' population (that's what we were called in the 1950's) sounds of school and church were all that we knew.

'The Early Church Sound'

As a child of the 50's, my mother took us to her father's church in Philadelphia on Grays Ferry Ave., across from an area called "The Roads." My maternal grandfather, Bishop Joseph Daniel McDougald was a man relatively short in stature, dark-skinned, hefty, and a fireball of a preacher who not only preached and taught hard, but I remember him playing what is now called the "stride piano." The sound of church for me at age 7 or 8 was that of an upright, out-of-tune piano (I know this now, but I didn't know it then), and a bass drum that was beaten with a stick with some kind of ball at the tip of it that was used for good emphasis in the service to bring on the praise! And then there was someone who played or beat a washboard with a spoon or a bent up wire hanger that ran the demons and devils right on out of you during a high service of deliverance.

While I remember my mother singing in what we at the time called the "Devotional and Testimony" portion of the worship experience, my Dad also displayed musical ability with the 'church sound' that still resonates in me today. It was in the 50's that we heard the 'church sound' in songs like: 'When We All Get To Heaven,' 'I'm A Soldier In The Army of The LORD,' 'In The Name of Jesus,' 'In The Morning When I Rise,' 'The Windows of Heaven,' 'You've Got To Move,' 'Bye and Bye,' 'Jesus, I'll Never Forget What You've Done For Me,' 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, What's He's Done For Me,' 'At The Cross,' and 'I Know It Was The Blood.' As I reflect on those times, I realize that the sound was repetitive yet energetically sung with power, emotion, and conviction. These were examples of the 'sounds of the church,' which were to be sung in church, and for the church. Any other 'sound' was considered for school, which was okay, but not the other sound, the 'secular sound' which we heard in the streets, on the radio, or at a birthday party where 'worldly' or 'rock n roll' music might be played. These sounds were NOT okay. The Word of God tells us in Psalms 100 to 'make a joyful noise unto the LORD.' That's the sound that the LORD wants to hear from His people.

"God Inspired Sounds"

The sounds of music that shaped my life were most definitely the sounds of my youth and the sounds of my early church experience. Looking back, I now know that much was instilled in me by my environment, which included my home with my mother and father, my siblings, and my grandfather's church – the Universal Bible Church of God, in Philadelphia. This was an appropriate name for his church and between the ages of 3 and 7 I believe, it was there that I became acquainted with or was introduced to the 'sound of God.'

The only way that I can explain this sound is to explain what I believe what happened in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were aware that they were special. They were the first to experience the 'sound of God.' This sound is the way God is and it is the 'who' of God. God, The Eternal, both before Genesis and after Revelations, does not ever have to be seen, but He is always heard. His way is heard; His 'who-ness' is also heard. When God wants, He speaks. His voice makes a sound. What He says makes a sound that stimulates and moves the target of His affection to respond. In the Garden, God hovered or moved, which created a sound. Adam and Eve were familiar to the sound of God. They had no visual, just a sound – a sound of the invisible God whose sound was visible. His sound was heard and light was formed; so were the sky, seas, rivers, moon and stars. The 'sound of God,' which is an expression of who He is, was heard when Adam sinned. How, you may ask? Let's look at Genesis 3:8-10: "And they heard the voice of the LORD walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the...