Question: How do we know if music is spiritual and if the musician is aspiring?
Sri Chinmoy: Whether or not the musician is aspiring is not your business. That is only God's business. When you hear music, if it lifts your consciousness, then you will know that it is spiritual music. Again, somebody may pretend to be spiritual, but if his music brings your consciousness down, then he is not playing spiritual music. Sometimes the musician is aspiring and also he is playing spiritual music; at that time you are very fortunate, because you get both.
Sri Chinmoy, God the Supreme Musician (1976), Agni Press, 1976