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