| In our harried and hectic 21st century lives, | | | | environment rather than intruding upon it. |
| New Age music just might be the right | | | | |
| antidote for all the craziness that seems to | | | | In the mid 20th Century, historians say, the |
| surround us every day. New age music offers a | | | | New Age genre was blown wide open by a |
| magical blend of sounds that reach deep into | | | | composer named John Cage who experimented |
| the psyche and transport listeners to a | | | | with a wide range of sounds from countries |
| blissful state of harmony and contentment. | | | | around the world. Cage even challenged the |
| New Age music is also known by many other | | | | notion that music could not be a recording of |
| names including ambient, contemporary | | | | silence. In the 1960s, the New Age floodgates |
| instrumental, experimental, spacerock, mood | | | | opened when American composers with classical |
| music and chillout. Not everyone agrees on | | | | backgrounds started to explore the idea of |
| exactly what New Age music encompasses. One | | | | repetition whether with orchestras, electric |
| group of fans claims that New Age is an | | | | instruments or non-Western instrumental |
| offshoot of electronic music that includes | | | | arrangements. The invention of the analog |
| melodic non-dance pieces. Artists in this | | | | synthesizer led to the development of many |
| tradition include Enya, Yanni and Vangelis, | | | | other types of compositions by this school of |
| who are all hugely popular. Others consider | | | | composers who came to be known as |
| New Age as an outgrowth of electronic music | | | | minimalists. In the 1990s, some historians |
| used primarily for relaxation in Eastern | | | | note that the term "New Age music," for |
| practices like yoga and meditation. There is | | | | better or worse, was co-opted by self-help |
| an entire industry of recording companies | | | | gurus who thought that it could lead to |
| that produce cassettes and CDs to teach and | | | | self-realization and new levels of |
| compliment these practices. Another point of | | | | consciousness. In the new millennium, |
| view is that New Age is purely melodic with | | | | historians say that New Age music belongs to |
| long, soothing tracks. | | | | a whole new group of listeners known as the |
| | | | 'rave' generation. |
| The history of New Age music is also open to | | | | |
| interpretation. Some music historians say it | | | | Whatever your perception of the origins or |
| can be traced back to a British musician | | | | purposes of New Age music, it's clear that |
| named Brian Eno who coined the term "ambient | | | | there is a prominent place for it in today's |
| music." regarding his 1978 album, "Ambient 1: | | | | culture. Yes, we're caught up in a harried |
| Music for Airports,". In the sleeve notes, | | | | existence, but we always find time to take a |
| Eno explained that it was music "designed to | | | | chill pill with this soothing genre of music. |
| induce calm and a place to think." He | | | | |
| explained that depending on the listener, it | | | | Listen to free New Age Music MP3's at Where |
| could be used as background music or be | | | | does your favorite top New Age songs rank? |
| actively listened to. According to these | | | | Visit EZ-tracks to check out top country |
| historians, New Age music's prime source is | | | | music charts. |
| two 19th Century classical avant-garde | | | | |
| composers--Claude Debussy and Erik Satie-who | | | | Want a soothing ringtone for you cell phone? |
| heralded a new openness in Western music to | | | | Download New Age Ringtones for your mobile |
| sounds that complimented the musical | | | | now. |