Music Collections: New Age
New Age music tends to be spiritual and contemplative in nature. It is music for reflection, contemplation, stretching, resting, reading and thinking. As such, New Age music avoids heavy rhythms, harsh sounds, complex harmonies, and virtuosic display. Much of New Age music is instrumental or electronic and contains pleasant melodies. The focus of New Age music is not on the musician or composer, but on creating music that will meet your psychological needs (Adapted from New Age Music).
New Age music often carries other name labels like ambient, electronic, or contemporary instrumental. Over the past decade, New Age music has become a huge market. Mannheim Steamroller, Yanni, and John Tesh were among the first to gain wide popularity. Based in harmonious, spiritual, non threatening philosophies, the music is often described as therapeutic.
Celtic New Age. Enya has made New Age music mainstream. Her songs can be found on television and in movies. Only Time is a box set containing her hits. The Lord of the Rings soundtracks have contributed to the popularity of this style.
Progressive Electronic. Groups like Tangerine Dream and Vangelis became popular in the 1980s and continue to develop their own albums as well as a movie scores.
Piano. George Winston and Jim Brickman are known for their instrumental work.
Others. Many variations can be found on New Age music including environmental, healing, and meditation music.
Selected Online Resources for New Age Music
- Echoes - Public Radio International (PRI) music program featuring a wide array of styles, from acoustic to electronic, jazz to space music, the avant-garde to rock.
- New Age Music at Wikipedia
- New Age Music Made Simple by Stephen Hill (article)
- New Age Music: What Is It? by Paul Adams
- New Age Reporter
- New World Music - New Age Relaxation Music
- Hearts of Space - Radio program hosted by Stephen Hill "Slow music for fast times"
- Real Music (New Age label)
- Windham Hill (Arista Associated Label)