The meaning of music (and dance??)

Music can enrich your life. It can edify and inspire you and help you draw closer to Heavenly Father.

 Clearly music is important to us it has been a part of the human experience as far as we know in history. The make music is human.

Music has a profound effect on your mind, spirit, and behavior.

 It does. There is scientific research showing its effects. However, it's not a simple effect. Happy music doesn't always bring happiness. Sad music doesn't always make us sad.Sometimes the effect is opposite to the classification.

Choose carefully the music you listen to. Pay attention to how you feel when you are listening.

 This is an odd approach. Sometimes the same music can make me feel good, sometimes sad, sometimes restless or sometimes irritated. There isn't a one-to-one connection between the music input and the feeling output. Something else is going on.

Some music can carry evil and destructive messages. Do not listen to music that encourages immorality or glorifies violence through its lyrics, beat, or intensity.

 Unfortunately all communication can carry evil or destructive content. This is the underlying premise of "politically correct" speech. I have yet to hear an immoral beat or intensity. Nobody has ever used the pernicious effect of a tempo or volume as mitigation for a bad act. If this correlation is true, what rhythmic pattern or amplitude produces predatory capitalists?

Is the converse true? Are there lyrics, rhythms and volumes that induce good behavior? Why or why not?

Do not listen to music that uses vulgar or offensive language or promotes evil practices. Such music can dull your spiritual sensitivity.

 How many times do we have to listen to this music to feel compelled to be insensitive? Once? Twenty times? Can we listen just enough then quit before the dire consequences? If we can't listen at all how do we know what's in the music in order to avoid it?

Where is the good music that forces us to be good?

Learn and sing the hymns. Hymns can lift your spirit, move you to righteous action, and help you withstand the temptations of the adversary.

 I think this is supposed to be the good music that forces goodness, but how does that fit with the idea of agency and self-determination?

When listening to music, be courteous to those around you. Keep your music at a reasonable volume, and remove your earphones when others are talking to you or want you to be part of their activities. Remember that the Spirit speaks with a still, small voice. If you listen to music constantly, you may not have the quiet time you need for thinking, feeling, and receiving spiritual guidance.

The first two points are etiquette not specific to music and dance 

Does this mean people who work in heavy construction, mining or boilermaking, all very loud environments, don't have the spirit with them? Do childcare providers lose the spirit because children are loud? If so are these employments and the nurture of children to be avoided?

Dancing can be fun and can provide an opportunity to meet new people. However, it too can be misused. When dancing, avoid full body contact with your partner. Do not use positions or moves that are suggestive of sexual or violent behavior or are otherwise inappropriate.

This "full body contact" phrase is the latest in a string of attempts to describe what to avoid. Does this mean contact from the waist up (or down) is acceptable because its not "full"? Why don't we just say sexual activity while dancing is inappropriate? I have no idea what positions or moves are suggestive of sex or violence short of beating on each other or mating with a partner on the floor. This just begs for a less obscure explanation.

Attend only those dances where dress, grooming, lighting, lyrics, music, and entertainment contribute to a wholesome atmosphere where the Spirit may be present.

Couldn't we just say "Attend only events where conduct and content contribute to an atmosphere where the Spirit may be present.", in which case this isn't about dance or music at all?

Overall, we need a better discussion on these topics. This isn't very convincing and a weak message is seen as hypocritical and shallow. Lastly, what happened to dance? There is not a word on the subject that addresses dance, only the music and attendees.