Posi music
Encyclopedia
Posi Music has been around since the 1940s, though only recently has a definitive label been applied to music
in this genre
. Short for Positive Music, Posi Music is categorized by its intention to have a positive effect on the listener. Musician
s who write and perform Posi Music profess a desire for their music to unite and inspire their audience and make them feel better.
One of the earliest 100% Positive Songs was Accentuate The Positive written by Johnny Mercer
and made famous by Bing Crosby
. That same song also defined the concept that there is indeed polarity between being Positive or being Negative, specifically noting there is also no Neutral as in "no more Mr. In-Between".
This concept has been expanded by groups promoting the education of Posi Music, such as the Positive Music Association, emPower Music and Arts and the Positive Music Imperative. This concept of Positive Music and Negative music has also been identified in the book called A New Earth
, by Eckhart Tolle
Deeper roots were nourished by New Thought
musicians and Posi Music finally emerged as a fully defined concept when pioneers of the Posi Music genre, Karl Anthony, Shanti Norman, Charley Thweatt and Leroy White created music that was not focused on theology, but instead on more inclusive themes. Unlike gospel
and contemporary worship music, Posi Music's lyrics are less specifically spiritual. By focusing on the human spirit and world community, Posi Music embraces musicians from any religion
. As the genre has evolved it has been adopted by artists following many different spiritual paths ranging from New Thought
, Agapism
, Judaism
, Christian Science
and Catholicism
to Buddhism
, Pantheism
and Seicho-no-Ie
.
Increasingly there are groups of Posi Music artists who are dedicating most, if not all, of their music specifically to up-lifting or motivational topics. As favor for the genre has grown, entire record labels have dedicated to publication of Posi Music. As always, a selection of mainstream pop music would also fit into the genre of Posi Music, touching on major themes of Posi Music like friendship and gratitude. Examples would be the hit songs "You've Got A Friend
" by James Taylor
, "Bridge Over Troubled Water
" by Simon & Garfunkel, and "Thank You For Being A Friend
" by Andrew Gold
. Of course, countless others would fit the bill; gratitude songs could once again go all the way back to Bob Hope
's "Thanks for the Memory
", right up to songs simply entitled "Thank You" by Dido
or Natalie Merchant
.
rather than the music itself. Often it is affirmational, though sometimes it is a call directing the listener to make changes to how they live. Posi Music can be spiritual, but it is not specifically religious in nature. This is by design, as Posi Music is meant to be enjoyed by people of many faiths.
Subjective Nature
As music is an art, it will always be subjective in nature when it comes to the interpreation of what is and what isn't Posi Music. While at either end of the spectrum it is easy to define a purely positive or negative song, some songs can be partially positive in focus but also include a love song element. Indeed, one could argue that a pure love song like L O V E by Nat King Cole would fit, but others would suggest that too broad a concept.
, nursing home
s and hospital
s. The themes in Posi Music are ideal for programs such as Arts In Medicine, where music is used to promote healing
.
Uses of Posi Music have expanded to include motivational music for work-outs and companies like Amway have used motivational music to inspire their distributors. Indeed even in 2008 Barack Obama
used Posi Music in his Yes We Can campaign by enlisting artist support like India Arie with songs like There's Hope and I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas
.
May 1 is Global Love Day, a celebration started by the Love Foundation. Posi Music plays a part as many Posi Musicians sponsor the event.
November has been declared Posi Music Month by many notable musicians in the genre. Fans are encouraged to "fast" from negative music and go on a "diet" of purely Posi Music for the month.
PosiPalooza is a national concert series from emPower Music & Arts. Traveling the country, Posi Award nominated musicians play venues ranging from churches to stadiums.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
in this genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
. Short for Positive Music, Posi Music is categorized by its intention to have a positive effect on the listener. Musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s who write and perform Posi Music profess a desire for their music to unite and inspire their audience and make them feel better.
One of the earliest 100% Positive Songs was Accentuate The Positive written by Johnny Mercer
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
and made famous by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
. That same song also defined the concept that there is indeed polarity between being Positive or being Negative, specifically noting there is also no Neutral as in "no more Mr. In-Between".
This concept has been expanded by groups promoting the education of Posi Music, such as the Positive Music Association, emPower Music and Arts and the Positive Music Imperative. This concept of Positive Music and Negative music has also been identified in the book called A New Earth
A New Earth
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose is a book by Eckhart Tolle, a follow-up to his first book and bestseller, The Power of Now. Tolle says "this book's main purpose is not to add new information or beliefs to your mind or to try to convince you of anything, but to bring about a shift in...
, by Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle is a German-born Canadian resident, best known as the author of the The Power of Now and A New Earth, which were written in English. In 2011, he was listed by the Watkins Review as the most spiritually influential person in the world...
Origins
Early Posi Music certainly had some roots in traditional folk music, in the genre labeled protest music. While much of protest music would not fit into the simple definition of Posi Music, a subjective opinion could easily include songs like "We Shall Overcome" by Pete Seger or "If I Had A Hammer" performed by Peter Paul & Mary.Deeper roots were nourished by New Thought
New Thought
New Thought promotes the ideas that "Infinite Intelligence" or "God" is ubiquitous, spirit is the totality of real things, true human selfhood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, sickness originates in the mind, and "right thinking" has a healing effect.Although New Thought is neither...
musicians and Posi Music finally emerged as a fully defined concept when pioneers of the Posi Music genre, Karl Anthony, Shanti Norman, Charley Thweatt and Leroy White created music that was not focused on theology, but instead on more inclusive themes. Unlike gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
and contemporary worship music, Posi Music's lyrics are less specifically spiritual. By focusing on the human spirit and world community, Posi Music embraces musicians from any religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. As the genre has evolved it has been adopted by artists following many different spiritual paths ranging from New Thought
New Thought
New Thought promotes the ideas that "Infinite Intelligence" or "God" is ubiquitous, spirit is the totality of real things, true human selfhood is divine, divine thought is a force for good, sickness originates in the mind, and "right thinking" has a healing effect.Although New Thought is neither...
, Agapism
Agapism
Agapism is belief in selfless, charitable, non-erotic love, spiritual love, love of the soul. It can mean belief that such love should be the sole ultimate value and that all other values are derived from it, or that the sole moral imperative is to love. Theological agapism holds that our love...
, Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Christian Science
Christian Science
Christian Science is a system of thought and practice derived from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy and the Bible. It is practiced by members of The First Church of Christ, Scientist as well as some others who are nonmembers. Its central texts are the Bible and the Christian Science textbook,...
and Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
to Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Pantheism
Pantheism
Pantheism is the view that the Universe and God are identical. Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal, anthropomorphic or creator god. The word derives from the Greek meaning "all" and the Greek meaning "God". As such, Pantheism denotes the idea that "God" is best seen as a process of...
and Seicho-no-Ie
Seicho-No-Ie
Seicho-no-Ie, sometimes rendered Seicho-no Iye , is a syncretic, nondenominational, monotheistic, New Thought religion, one of the Shinshūkyō in Japan that have spread since the end of World War II...
.
Increasingly there are groups of Posi Music artists who are dedicating most, if not all, of their music specifically to up-lifting or motivational topics. As favor for the genre has grown, entire record labels have dedicated to publication of Posi Music. As always, a selection of mainstream pop music would also fit into the genre of Posi Music, touching on major themes of Posi Music like friendship and gratitude. Examples would be the hit songs "You've Got A Friend
You've Got a Friend
"You've Got a Friend" is a song from 1971, originally written and performed by Carole King. It was included in her album Tapestry of 1971, but was made famous by James Taylor's cover version the same year...
" by James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, "Bridge Over Troubled Water
Bridge over Troubled Water
Bridge Over Troubled Water is the fifth and final studio album by Simon & Garfunkel. Released on January 26, 1970 on both Quadraphonic and Stereo formats, it reached No. 1 on Billboard Music Charts pop albums list...
" by Simon & Garfunkel, and "Thank You For Being A Friend
Thank You for Being a Friend
"Thank You For Being A Friend" is a song written by Andrew Gold, who recorded it for his third album, All This and Heaven Too. The single version reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978....
" by Andrew Gold
Andrew Gold
Andrew Maurice Gold was an American singer, musician and songwriter. His works include the Top 10 single "Lonely Boy" , as well as the singles "Thank You for Being a Friend" , and "Never Let Her Slip Away" ....
. Of course, countless others would fit the bill; gratitude songs could once again go all the way back to Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
's "Thanks for the Memory
Thanks for the Memory
"Thanks for the Memory" is a popular song, with music composed by Ralph Rainger and lyrics by Leo Robin. It was introduced in the 1938 film The Big Broadcast of 1938 by Shep Fields and His Orchestra with vocals by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross...
", right up to songs simply entitled "Thank You" by Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
or Natalie Merchant
Natalie Merchant
Natalie Anne Merchant is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.-Early life:...
.
Style
Posi Music is described as being upbeat and uplifting music. Usually it centers around the lyricsLyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
rather than the music itself. Often it is affirmational, though sometimes it is a call directing the listener to make changes to how they live. Posi Music can be spiritual, but it is not specifically religious in nature. This is by design, as Posi Music is meant to be enjoyed by people of many faiths.
Subjective Nature
As music is an art, it will always be subjective in nature when it comes to the interpreation of what is and what isn't Posi Music. While at either end of the spectrum it is easy to define a purely positive or negative song, some songs can be partially positive in focus but also include a love song element. Indeed, one could argue that a pure love song like L O V E by Nat King Cole would fit, but others would suggest that too broad a concept.
Uses
Posi Music can be used in many settings beyond spiritual communities. Posi Music is marketed for use in retreats, workshops, fitness centers, counseling centers, therapyTherapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
, nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
s and hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s. The themes in Posi Music are ideal for programs such as Arts In Medicine, where music is used to promote healing
Healing
Physiological healing is the restoration of damaged living tissue, organs and biological system to normal function. It is the process by which the cells in the body regenerate and repair to reduce the size of a damaged or necrotic area....
.
Uses of Posi Music have expanded to include motivational music for work-outs and companies like Amway have used motivational music to inspire their distributors. Indeed even in 2008 Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
used Posi Music in his Yes We Can campaign by enlisting artist support like India Arie with songs like There's Hope and I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
.
Events
The Posi Music Festival is held every January in Orlando, culminating with emPower Music & Arts' Posi Awards, an award ceremony recognizing artists producing outstanding Posi Music from the previous year.May 1 is Global Love Day, a celebration started by the Love Foundation. Posi Music plays a part as many Posi Musicians sponsor the event.
November has been declared Posi Music Month by many notable musicians in the genre. Fans are encouraged to "fast" from negative music and go on a "diet" of purely Posi Music for the month.
PosiPalooza is a national concert series from emPower Music & Arts. Traveling the country, Posi Award nominated musicians play venues ranging from churches to stadiums.
Professional organizations
- emPower Music & Arts - social network connecting musicians and fans and sponsor of the Annual Posi Awards
- Positive Music Association (PMA) - promoting Posi Music and the musicians who create it
- Harmonizing with Humanity - linking fans to the work of great Posi musicians
- Arts In Medicine - integrating Posi Music and the arts with medical care