The religious lifestyle keeps you focused. It's helpful when trying to manoeuvre through the music scene.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I am enormously susceptible to religious environments - the music, the liturgy and the prayers.
I definitely try to broaden the scope of music. I don't know if it's pop or classical or what, but I'm religiously challenging myself all the time, for better or for worse.
I write in my study, where I also have my prayer altar. I believe that keeps me focused and gives me positive energy and reminds me that I'm merely the instrument of greater creative forces.
Here's the thing with me and the religious thing. This is the flat-out truth: I find the religiosity and philosophy in the music. I don't find it anywhere else.
If you grow up playing in church, it removes a lot of the boundaries that other musicians might have, growing up with sheet music or whatever.
Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.
I'm probably at my least religious I've ever been in a while. When you're moved by music, that's always good. But I haven't been talking to God too much lately.
Being deeply contented with God in my everyday life is a focused attitude. It is always available. It means practicing letting go of my obsession with how I'm doing. It means training myself to learn to actually be present with people, and seeking to love them.
One needs occasionally to stand aside from the hum and rush of human interests and passions to hear the voices of God.
The closest place that I feel like I come to having religious moments is always musical.