The Profound Power of Music: From Sanctuary to Screen
Music’s Physiological Magic
While paging through Decision Magazine—the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s flagship publication—I came across an article that reminded me just how deeply music intertwines with both body and soul. Modern research confirms the phenomenon many of us feel instinctively: when we sing treasured songs in unison, the brain releases oxytocin. This naturally occurring hormone produces a warm sense of bonding, unity, and security. Scientists now credit communal singing with everything from heightened feelings of spiritual awe to measurable relief from chronic pain. Ongoing studies even suggest that structured music therapy can ease certain autism-spectrum challenges and help stabilize Alzheimer’s symptoms.
From Pews to Playlists: Worship and Beyond
Nearly every church service opens with some form of praise and worship—a musical catalyst that lifts hearts before a single sermon is preached. Congregations vary widely in style, yet all rely on this sonic “first impression” because it reaches places ordinary speech cannot. Even so, personal taste inevitably enters the equation. In my view, a few songs occasionally stretch the definition of “inspiring,” but that doesn’t lessen music’s overarching ability to reassure, comfort, and spark joy. Precisely because the spiritual element is so potent, churches invest heavily in music ministries that steward these moments.
Personal Preferences: A Taste for Country … and Jazz
Everyone cultivates a unique soundtrack. Mine leans heavily toward classic country-western—story-driven lyrics, steel-guitar warmth, and honest vocals. Pair that with the improvisational freedom of jazz, and you have the playlist that fuels my day. Perhaps your favorites sit at a different intersection, but the takeaway is universal: music meets us where we live and leaves us better than it found us. 
Scoring the Screen: How Soundtracks Shape Storytelling
The same invisible force works wonders in television production. A well-chosen underscore can elevate a solid segment—say, an “eight” on a ten-point scale—to a perfect score. Viewers rarely notice the track consciously; instead, it seeps into the spirit, amplifying emotion, suspense, or serenity without fanfare. Countless episodes of our fishing adventures rely on this subtle artistry to deepen the viewer’s experience of wind, water, and hard-earned hook-sets.
Final Thoughts
Music enfolds us in church pews, living rooms, and wide-open lakes alike. It binds communities, emboldens worship, and colors onscreen stories with hues words alone cannot capture. As you head into another season on the water—or wherever your own road leads—consider turning up the tunes that make your heart resonate. From all of us here at The Edge, have a phenomenal fishing season. We’ll see you out there, soundtrack playing softly in the background.
I just read an interesting article about music in Decision Magazine. This is a Billy Graham publication. Let me read a snippet of it.
Recent studies have shown the power of music over us is not purely psychological, but it’s also physiological. Singing along with others to beloved songs cause the brain to secrete a chemical, oxytocin, which is a natural occurring hormone, creating a warm sensation of bonding, unity, and security, making us feel all cuddly toward our children and others we love.
It also infuses us with feelings of spiritual awe and can alleviate chronic pain, disability, and can be used as treatment for autism and stabilization of Alzheimer’s symptoms that have been recently talked about in ARP Magazine.
But we all know music. We all have favorite music, favorite types of music. Music is an incredibly powerful thing.
Pretty much every church everywhere opens their service with some form of what is called praise and worship, and there’s music of all kind of different levels. Music touches people’s lives. Much of it is so good, it’s so uplifting, it’s entertaining.
You get a lot out of it, and there’s some of it, at least in my opinion, this is my opinion and everybody can share an opinion, some of it, I guess it comes under the heading of music, but when you listen to the words and seeing the spirit behind it, I don’t know how anybody can enjoy it, but that’s just me, my opinion, but it doesn’t change the fact that music impacts people’s lives in so many ways, most people in a positive way.
It is uplifting, reassuring, gives you peace, comfort, joy. There’s a spiritual element that is so incredibly powerful in music, that’s why churches all over the country have music ministries, music, love it, everybody has their own favorite kind of music.
Mine, by the way, happens to be a lot of it is country western. You probably found that interesting. The other part of it is jazz.
That’s just me. Hey, I just wanted to share that with you. Music is here, in our television shows, we have music tracks that can take a show from what I would say of being an eight on a scale of one to ten, and the music track will take it to a ten.
It’s that subtle. Many of you don’t even know that that music track is there. That’s how it works.
Your spirit is hearing this thing, in many cases, and you don’t even know what’s going into you. Hey, just something to think about today. Hey, from all of us here at The Edge, you have a good fishing season.
We’ll see you on the water.
