Music, Spirituality, and Expansive Ways of Knowing

Musicologist Suzanne Cusick argues that music could act as a lesbian lover, that it might be sex itself, and that a lesbian relationship with music could liberate musicology from heteronormative dynamics—as lesbian relationships are inherently outside of this structure. However, she explores these dynamics as a monogamous relationship. Using Cusick’s work as a blueprint, this paper investigates relationships with music that are non-monogamous, like those in religious contexts. This paper will present how ideas of queerness, sexuality, and love interact with four potential relationship dynamics in the relationship between an individual, God, and music in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Namely, a polyamorous relationship, a relationship with un-ethical non-monogamy, an abusive relationship, and a relationship that incorporates BDSM. By engaging with Church archival documents, I aim to provide new perspectives on how scholars can examine power dynamics when there are more than two parties at play.