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Masters Degrees (Music)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/7270

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Music) by Author "Bethke, Andrew-John."

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    A Seventh-day Adventist perspective on secular pop music: an exploratory study of engagement and compatibility.
    (2022) Cecil, Michelle.; Bethke, Andrew-John.
    It is a common practice for people to have pop music playing in the background while they go about daily living. Many Seventh-day Adventists seem to engage with pop music in this manner. The aim of this study was to understand the type of principles, attitudes and behaviours that were being promoted by commonly heard pop songs, and how these fare against the Seventh-day Adventist belief system. A further aim was to understand how Seventh-day Adventists listen to pop music, and why they appear to embrace songs that promote behaviours and attitudes that run contrary to their beliefs. This is a mixed methods study. It entailed perusing the lyrics of pop songs in two ways. Firstly, 24 songs were selected that were addressed in 6 themes (4 songs per theme), the themes that have a bearing on some important aspects of the Seventh-day Adventist philosophy and lifestyle (Concept of Self; Hope; the State of the Dead; Time; Substance Use; and Love, Relationships and Sexuality). Twelve Seventh-day Adventist interviewees who serve as leaders in their local congregations, and representing various groups (i.e., unmarried youth, married young people, parents, seniors, people who listen to pop music on the radio, and those who are music leaders in their churches), stated how they engaged with pop music in general, and offered their perspectives on the 24 songs. Further, 4 pastors provided comments, in their official capacity, on the compatibility of these songs with Seventh-day Adventism. Secondly, 160 pop songs (i.e., the top 40 songs from the Billboard decade-end Hot 100 song charts, from decades 1980, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s) were reviewed to gather a general sense of the types of content, themes and extent to which messages were being promoted. It was found that a large percentage of pop songs’ messages run contrary to the Seventh-day Adventist philosophy and approach to life, and that lyrics are becoming more explicit with each succeeding decade, in terms of behaviours and practices that are rejected by the Church. It was also found that many Seventh-day Adventists may be engaging with such music because they are attracted by the music and do not pay attention to the lyrics. Furthermore, it was ascertained that music can influence a change in beliefs and behaviours and that if Seventh-day Adventists want to practice their faith seriously, they need to pay attention to the type of music they listen to, especially the lyrics.
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    Stakeholders’ perceptions of the role of gospel music in Botswana.
    (2022) Daman, Pogiso Abel.; Bethke, Andrew-John.
    Gospel music can play an important role in the spiritual lives of individual church members and, consequently, the spiritual and numerical growth of the church as a whole. The aim of this study was to investigate stakeholders’ perceptions about the role of gospel music in the Botswana Pentecostal church, where the stakeholders are pastors, church musicians and congregation members. The study was partly motivated by the fact that there is a gap in academic literature regarding gospel music in the Botswana context in general, or peoples’ perceptions of its importance more specifically. The data collection instrument was limited to a interviews because of constraints related to the Covid-19 Virus protocols that had to be observed, such as social distancing and uncertainties of nature and length of lock-downs. The sample size of the study comprised three strata, namely 3 pastors, 6 musicians and 12 congregation members (21 in total). The choice of the three strata was done purposively, that is, purposive sampling strategy was employed. This was based on the assumption that the three groups were conversant with the importance of gospel music and would therefore give relevant information needed to address the research questions. In this study, probability sampling in the form of simple random sampling was used to select the 21 individual research participants. The theoretical framework in this study adopted Pass’ theory that church music satisfies three separate theological functions within any act of worship, namely, kerygmatic; koinoniac; and leitourgic (Greek theological terms). Kerygma refers to imparting the gospel; koinonia to the community of the faithful; and leitourgia to the structure of church services and how ordinary people actively participate in them (Pass, 1989:91-119). The findings of the study show that in general, the purpose of gospel music is to spread the gospel. Many interviewees perceived gospel music as more effective in this mission than preaching. Additionally, because gospel music in the church is presented in different languages and members can socialise freely while rehearsing it is a sign that it has the potential to build church community. Finally, gospel music is an integral component of the structure of normal church services, particularly when praise-and-worship songs are played in between the items of the service to fill-in the liturgical “gaps”. Thus, the findings of this study support the thesis that gospel music has a positive impact on the spiritual development and growth of the church.