From: datta@cs.uwp.edu (David Datta)
Subject: Re: 'Newage' music
Followup-To: talk.religion.newage,rec.music.newage
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Parkside
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 00:47:14 GMT

lllowen (lllowen@netcom.com) wrote:
: There are few music groups out there
: (Naranda???) who DO promote the newage religion with their music.  They
: are an exception.  [Forgive me but I am not familiar with Naranda, if I
: even spelled it right, but I understand they are a promoter of the
: religion].

The record label Narada does promote the music as "New Age Music" but
they do not promote the religion.

Here is an article I posted a while ago about all of this. I think it
will answer the question posed earlier.

In article <92029.18:55:37.325490.BBELTRAN@itesmvf1.rzs.itesm.mx> BBELTRAN@itesmvf1.rzs.itesm.mx writes:
> Anyone could tell me, where start the NewAge?, Who was the firts
> player of this kind of music?, which it's origins'?
> How many kinds of music intervene in this music?, etc...

I THINK, you are interested in the basic instrumental/electronic
non-classical style of music in general, and not 'New Age' music.  If
this is the case, this style of music has been around for years, much
of it has been in the 'jazz' racks and some in rock. Albums like
Tangerine Dream's _Phaedra_, Jean-Michel Jarre's _Oxygene_, and Mike
Oldfield's _Tubular Bells_ are some examples of albums that made the
pop music charts.

The common term 'New Age' is a marketing term made up to capitalize on
the folks who believe in the 'New Age' religion (crystal healing, power
of the mind, etc.). The idea, it seems, was that since 'New Age' was
the popular thing to believe (about 4-5 years ago) that music that was
relaxing and peaceful could be sold to these folks. Many of the stores
specializing in 'New Age' religion supplies also stocked tapes and
albums that fit their criteria.

I am not sure when or who was the first person to create music to
specifically be called 'New Age' but it was most likely someone whose
sole distribution was via the health food stores. (Which seemed to be
the same places people got their crystals and such.)

Once the major record companies caught on to the fact that there was
money in this, they decided to take music that was basically
electronic/acoustic instrumental and really didn't fit in the other
pat musical categories (rock, pop, classical, jazz, blues, etc.) and
put it into this 'New Age' classification.

Many of these artists (I'd say probably most of them), do not want to
be classified in the 'New Age' bin and many are simply put there
because the people who run the record stores really have no idea where
they belong because they don't know the music.

Here are some musicians that who have said "I do not make 'New Age'
Music" but are usually shoveled into the same bin. (From the top of my
head, there are many others): Tangerine Dream, Mike Oldfield,
Jean-Michel Jarre, Shadowfax, Larry Fast (Synergy), Steve Joliffe,
Vangelis, Peter Mergener (Software, G.E.N.E., and more), Yanni

Some of these artists, (Yanni and Vangelis for example) who don't do
'New Age' music are marketed by the record companies as 'New Age'
simply because it will sell.

There ARE artists who DO embrace the 'New Age' ideas, Constance Demby
and the team of Suzan Mazer & Dallas Smith are examples of these. I
have found that with few exceptions, the music that is admittedly 'New
Age' is way too boring for me to listen to more than once and as such,
I have not purchased it. I cannot help you with more names. In other
words, "I don't like or listen to much 'New Age' music."

-- 
-Dave datta@cs.uwp.edu
	"Such abuse would be illegal and is therefore unlikely." 
		- FBI Director William Sessions
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage