New age music evolved out of a shared consciousness among composers and performers. Their credo held that music should be based on harmony and consonance, rather than dissonance; minus the hooks and rhythmic pulse typifying popular music; employ soothing instrumental sounds e. The genre began taking form in the latter half of the s a pivotal development was William Ackerman's formation of the Windham Hill label in as baby boomers, approaching middle age and facing the full effect of career and family pressures, began exploring softer forms of pop music. A broad, amorphous category, new age includes the following subgenres:. The rapidly evolving technology of modern society has placed the resources of a small orchestra within the means of most artists. This has facilitated the creation of innovative sounds hitherto impossible to achieve with traditional acoustic instruments. Folk Music. Based on influences derived from traditional folk and ethnic sources e.
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New-age is a genre of music intended to create artistic inspiration , relaxation , and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga , massage , meditation , [1] reading as a method of stress management [2] to bring about a state of ecstasy rather than trance , [3] [4] or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is associated with environmentalism and New Age spirituality. New-age music includes both acoustic forms, featuring instruments such as flutes , piano , acoustic guitar and a wide variety of non-Western acoustic instruments , and electronic forms, frequently relying on sustained synth pads or long sequencer -based runs. Vocal arrangements were initially rare in the genre, but as it has evolved vocals have become more common, especially those featuring Native American -, Sanskrit -, or Tibetan -influenced chants, or lyrics based on mythology such as Celtic legends. There is no exact definition of new-age music. New-age music was influenced by a wide range of artists from a variety of genres. Tony Scott 's Music for Zen Meditation is considered to be the first new-age recording. New-age music is defined more by the use and effect or feeling it produces rather than the instruments and genre used in its creation; [10] it may be acoustic, electronic, or a mixture of both. New-age artists range from solo or ensemble performances using classical-music instruments ranging from the piano, acoustic guitar, flute or harp to electronic musical instruments , or from Eastern instruments such as the sitar , tabla , and tamboura.
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Within the broad movement of new-age music , neoclassical new-age music is influenced by and sometimes also based upon baroque or classical music , especially in terms of melody and composition. Many artists within this subgenre are classically trained musicians. Although there is a wide variety of individual styles, neoclassical new-age music is generally melodic, harmonic, and instrumental, using both traditional musical instruments as well as electronic instruments. Neoclassical new-age music composer Chris Field has created neoclassical music for many movie trailers for years. Mannheim Steamroller is a neoclassical band that has been very successful. They have sold over 41 million albums and produced a Christmas album that went on to sell 5 million copies. This article about a music genre is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The maligned genre was once lampooned and derided as cheesy nonsense, but with an eager legion of younger fans it has been reborn for a new generation. W hen did new age music become cool? The mellow tones of new age were once the province of spas, wellness centers, yoga studios and hippie bookstores. These days, new age records — particularly the more rare LPs and cassettes released in the s and s — are a touchstone of cool. A wave of recent well-received reissues, coupled with a wave of younger musicians releasing brand new records in the genre, are keeping the flames of new age music alive. Some record stores are finding it hard to keep new age albums in stock. At Amoeba Records in Berkeley, California , a new generation of listeners are cleaning out the dusty new age bins. Musician Greg Davis, who founded the popular new age cassette blog Crystal Vibrations, says that the surge of interest in rare new age albums — many released on cassette tapes — was inevitable. It was easy to find that stuff and sample it and listen to it and see if you liked it, and people were checking it out.
