Magic and Music

As a musician myself, I was intrigued by the brief chapter titled “Magic and music” in A History of Magic, Witchcraft, & the Occult. Even today we are far from fully understanding the effects of music on the brain, but interest in the field has grown dramatically in the past decade according to The Power of Music by Elena Mannes. For example, you might not be able to remember anything from a test you took in 11^th grade of high school, or even sophomore year of college (as a senior year student at TCU). Yet if a nostalgic song comes on the radio from when you were only 6 years old, you would be easily able to recite every single lyric and every single note as if you had studied the content yesterday. Therefore, for this reason and others, it is not surprising that over hundreds of years humans have associated music with magic.

Even further, just as magic and witchcraft have been associated with the devil / demonic practices, so have different forms of music that have developed over the years. For example, when rock and roll began to grow and gain popularity, parents were concerned that their children were listening to “devil music” since it was so different from the normal style. This sentiment would eventually lead certain subsidiaries of the rock and roll genre to embrace the demonic reputation, creating heavy metal / death metal bands. These types of rock bands would explicitly cite Satan and other morbid topics, usually with excessive overdrive on the guitars accompanied by belting / scream singing. It is fascinating how fandoms of certain bands or genres share many resemblances to those of a cult. Certain concerts and fanbases create an atmosphere very similar to that of a cult worship session, further drawing similarities between music and magic / the occult. This makes sense because the most fundamental common denominator in both cases is a strong, shared belief (in the cult itself, and in the band and their music).

The text also mentions various artists who have included references to witchcraft in their music, such as Frank Sinatra and his song That Old Black Magic. I was excited to read this citation considering that Frank Sinatra has been my number one artist on Spotify for the past three years. In addition, I could easily think of several other references to witchcraft in his recorded portfolio: Bewitched, Witchcraft, Devil May Care, Angel Eyes, and more. If I wrote this book, I would have probably designated an entire page to witchcraft references by Sinatra and jazz music in general. Considering jazz was extremely popular in New Orleans, it makes sense that Sinatra sings about voodoo in the song You Do Something To Me.

Jimi Hendrix also mentioned voodoo and mysticism in his work, which is noted in his song Voodoo Chile. In the drug-ridden realm of the 1960s and 1970s, I can understand how the substance abuse coupled with music and songwriting ushered in an era of psychedelic rock which explored the mysteries of the mind and the universe. Many cults and practices throughout human history have also incorporated the use of drugs / substances; this is yet another parallel between the worship of music and the occult. Due to uncertainties in the complete understanding / explanation of both magic and music, as well as a general enjoyment / pastime, both are significantly intertwined and continue to be celebrated to this day.