Music as My Religion: Why Shouldn't it Be?

Why can't music be another form of religion? Because aren't they in essence really just the same thing? Isn't music religion just as pure as any other?

First let's look at it this way. What exactly is religion? Isn't religions a collection of symbols, rituals and beliefs that house a person's faith? These things serve a very important purpose they give meaning to a chaotic world. Religion forges order from chaos, provides an emotional defense against the big bad world. It provides us answers to the larger questions, those things that are almost too big for us to even consider and think about. Essentially religion answers questions beyond our grasp, and provides protection and safety from the chaos and pain that so infuses life.

Now let us look at music what exactly is music? Isn't music a collection of symbols (sounds and words), rituals (verses and songs), beliefs (genre's and styles) and blissful surrender to the beauty of music as a whole (Faith). Songs and music help apply meaning to the crazy world of outside. They take the unpredictable and harsh world that feared other and renders it harmonious and familiar. It lets it ring with truth; it provides us answers and a shield against the horrific world. Music lets us touch things that we can't fully comprehend and makes them OK. It protects us and defends us.

Now they have differences but I find that mostly these differences have to do with the level on which they apply. Religion tends to be stricter and harsher on individuality while Music tends to promote it above all else, being openly an expression of something greater through human personality. Religion is societal and defends the society in nature, music tends to be personal and defends the individual even when in large groups music sounds different to all ears when the message of religion is supposed to be universally the same. Religion provides definite ethical and moral guidelines to apply and expects them to apply universally. Music is again based heavily and solely on individual interpretation.

So again I ask why can't music be my religion? What does religion have that my music does not? A god? For that I have music itself harmony crafted of chaos. Priests? Every musician, band or artist is as a priest to me helping me reach out to the divine harmony of music. A Church? Why can't concerts be my congregation? The final thing...morality? Can music give me the same reality as an other's religion? The answer is that indeed it can the morality of myself, of music's (expression itself) and what I feel to be right along with others. My music is a religion of freedom, and I can choose to celebrate it as such for it deserves as much reverence as any other.