Can Hollywood take my blues away??

Music, religion and the consumer...

To engage and interest a congregation the church uses music and musical response as one of its main devices to, "keep the congregation on its toes" and engaged in the ritual of religious service. Today for example we see however what was once a small all boys cathedral choir, who sings every Sunday at mass; tour the world to great acclaim. Music has thus become an integral part of our life, whether it be a boys choir, rhythmic chanting during yoga or mediation or even the 'club victory song after a football match'; music can not be separated from the day to day ritual of life. 

In, 'The Culture Industry'- Horkheimer, it is discussed that, "the whole world is made to pass  through the filter of the culture industry. The old experience of the movie- goer. Who sees the world outside as an extension of the film he has just left ( because the latter is intent upon reproducing the world of everyday perceptions), is now the producers guideline,"[Horkheimer, 1993, Pp.126]. Like the Sherwood Uniting Church, who interestingly this week have chosen the slogan, " Jesus is my rock and he rolls my blues away"… religious institutions are now making choices based on popular culture and the mainstream experience. The question remains however, if what we take home from a religious service, is as powerful as the consumer focused  'Hollywood' message of the 21st Century...

References:

Adorno T. and M. Horkheimer. 1993. The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception. In Dialectic of Enlightenment. New York: Continuum