Sam2,
Despite the negative tone, which I am in no way defending, musicaldignity does have a valid point. We have all been exposed, to one degree or another, to music which, for lack of a better term, has no dignity. That desensitizes us, or in the words of a great Jewish musician, “kills our ears”. Music which is refined and has kedushah sounds old fashioned and boring, when it should be beautiful and uplifting. Music at which we all should cringe has no effect on us, or worse, we dance to it (literally or figuratively).
Of course, if you don’t accept the premise that there is some objective measure for “musical dignity”, you won’t accept my argument. I’ve been informed by people have studied music, though, that there is a objective “formula” for determining which types of beats and sound will arouse certain emotions and feelings.
I don’t accept that the same type of beat which is used in the jungles to whip people into a frenzy of passion for avodah zarah, arayos, and retzichah, can really have a positive effect on people towards avodas Hashem.