From: alight@rock.concert.net (Alan R Light -- Personal Account)
Subject: Re: 'Newage' music
Organization: CONCERT-CONNECT -- Public Access UNIX
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 00:19:41 GMT

In article <1992Dec25.094101.186@muddcs.claremont.edu> irilyth@fenris.claremont.edu (Josh Smith) writes:
>In an article crossposted to talk.religion.newage and rec.music.newage,
>Tommy Kelly (tk@dcs.ed.ac.uk) writes:
>
>> A couple of christian friends of mine were discussing 'newage' music
>> ( and its 'evils'). recently.  The groups 'Clannad' and 'Enya' were both 
>> mentioned specifically, and I've seen both mentioned in r.m.n recently.  
>
> Truly enlightened record stores
>now label the section for "new age" music as "Instrumental"; 
>
>What I'm really interested in, though, is why Christian folks mentioned
>Clannad and Enya in their discussion of the evils of "New Age". Neither
>seems to promote much of anything that would tend to anger Christians,
>
>I've added rec.music.folk to the newsgroups line, because early Clannad

Well, I've taken rec.music.folk back out of the newsgroups line, because
a new-age discussion doesn't really belong there, even though that was
where I noticed the post.  I am somewhat angered that anyone would think
that the music of Clannad and Enya are evil because they are ostensibly
in the "new-age" category.  If they think the music is evil, fine and
dandy, but that is certainly no reason, and it just shows their ignorance
that they have not bothered to check out the music to see if it has any
relation to the New Age religion.  Certainly Enya's Celtic version of
"Silent Night" which was recently mentioned in r.m.n cannot be promoting
the New Age religion!

From what I can tell, this is why "new age" music was named such:
The New Age religion is a Westernized version of Eastern religion,
especially Hinduism and Buddhism.
The Eastern cultures (especially, for this purpose, India) tend to
have music different from Western cultures.  Largely it is simply the
difference between major and minor modes.
Therefore, when whoever makes up the categories finds music written
in a minor mode, or at least not in the Western tradition, they label
it as Eastern.  Eastern (to these drones) = Eastern Relgion, for the
Western masses = New Age.

This causes some problems.  As an example, Greek and Celtic cultures
are distantly related, and share much in their musical tradition.  One
aspect is more use of minor modes and other "non-Western" things.
Therefore, when someone like Vangelis (Greek) or Clannad and Enya
(Celtic -- Irish) comes along and plays their traditional music, some
idiot thinks it sounds just like Indian religious music, and
classifies it as such.

Incidentally, I also like Indian music.

So to (Tommy?) who originally posted the question, please find a
polite way to tell your friends that they haven't got a clue.

As for Josh, thanks for bringing this up on r.m.f.  Just one gripe;
much "new age" music is not entirely instrumental.

Since I'm posting here anyway:  I got a copy of Maire's new album
on Atlantic.  It's real good.  This is the same Maire from Clannad
(Enya's sister) and three other sisters sing back-up.  The album is
self-titled, for anyone looking for it.

Merry Christmas!

Alan
Newsgroups: talk.religion.newage