Interview:

What do I believe is the spiritual significance of music? When put to me, this question has two answers. On the one hand, I believe that music is undoubtedly spiritual for composers and audiences that create or listen to music for the purpose of faith alone. On the other hand, with my own experience, I am an atheist and don’t create or listen to music with any kind of spiritual ear. So there is a certain duality that comes in different guises when this is posed. Bach is said to have created a lot of his works for the grace of God, and Gospel music is deeply, if not entirely, rooted in religious faith.

Spirituality is the prime motivator in these, and there are many other examples; with this comes a purpose that is deep in its beauty and cultural significance. I am completely astonished in the power of personal faith and the way belief can manifest into art, that is so rich and exquisite. I have a love for the creativity that goes into science, and the scientific method of constantly searching for truth through rigorous trial and error. This is part of what propels me to make music, and the other is an indescribable feeling that brings happiness, and sometimes a satisfaction to myself when I have finished a song. It can also be the impetus for an idea, or the spark and inspiration that is improvisation. This indescribable feeling could be interpreted as spiritual, but I think that would take away from the beauty of it. The ambiguity of the feeling is the best part, and I’m happy to be naïve when it comes to art.

“Part of what propels me to make music… is an indescribable feeling that brings happiness, and sometimes a satisfaction to myself when I have finished a song.”
– Stafford Davis, multi-instrumentalist in I/O\I