What I've learned as UU

Growing up in a Unitarian Universalist church music was a huge part of the service and the religion. Music is used as a way to bring everyone together, and we had many community events and talent shows all focusing on music. Seeing as it is a church that is open to exploration of other religions and cultures we had all kinds of music. During services traditional Christian hymns would be sung, or sometimes a pop song would be played. During Christmas “Silent Night” was traditionally sung every year in German and with the use of sign language. It is a way to bring the community together, and seeing as we had a very well known choir it was also a way to raise money for the church. The choir was trained in the traditional western sense with some contemporary aspects. The performances, whether solo, an ensemble or you name it where expected to be engaging and, if incorporating another culture, respectful and fairly represented.
In my experience at the church, and at other churches visited, the music heard did contain what I found to be aesthetically pleasing. Seeing as there was so much music and all kinds of music there is really something for everyone. It exposed me to not only diversity in religion but also in the music of these religions. It helped me understand that music is a powerful thing in helping people communicate, pray, and tell the world of their faith. I have experienced the droning chants of Buddhists, and the lively music and voices of African American churches.
I would like to add that music is a powerful thing in itself. I know in my personal experiences at the church I would sometimes feel just as moved by a Christian hymn as I would a chant. This helped me to understand the connection the people find in their music and their religion, and why for some it is so important to have music. Whether it is a traditionally written hymn, which contains repeated verses, or a chant that has no written recording and comes straight from the individual, the music is an important tool.
I feel that I owe a lot to my experience at church. It has supported me in moving towards my goals and music and it has served as a form of comfort, expression, and spirituality.