New Age Music World

Archive for June, 2009

Terri Liles Mason is the creative spirit behind the peaceful music that involves a pronounced focus on honoring and celebrating the universal principals of positive feminine living and mother earth.

In her first release entitled Om Gaia, Terri Liles Mason puts a reflective focus in expressing oneself in a positive manner to increase self image through music. Teaching in workshops devoted to inner peace and harmony from her home in Connecticut, her expertise and knowledge in this subject is only reinforced from her educational background, which she in turn, instills into Om Gaia. Everything now becomes one, when devoting her expertise and knowledge as a teacher, into positive influential music as composer and performer on her debut album.

Terri’s music is creating quite a sensation internationally, having performed before a large audience in the recent Earth Day opening in New York City’s Grand Central Station, where she introduced herself and the Om Gaia album.

Another reason for her to celebrate is the over 120 online radio stations playing her music around the world, a #4 spot on the World Radio Top 100 chart, and 3 songs retaining the #1 Top New Age songs with Indie Music charts for 12 weeks. The 3 songs holding that position are title song Om Gaia, Begin Again, and Eleyakeha’s Lullaby.

Terri Liles Mason’s music is creating quite a sensation internationally, having performed before a large audience in the recent Earth Day opening in New York City’s Grand Central Station, where she introduced herself and the Om Gaia album to the world. Terri Liles Mason’s first album reflects her focus of expressing oneself in a positive manner to increase self image through music.

The title song Om Gaia is a positive blend of mid tempo instrumental rhythms that are surrounded by Terri’s beautiful vocals, sung with an apparent soft and sensual touch.

Mother earth is celebrated by inspiring thought filled lyrics, announced to all by her beautifully deep and rich blending of vocals, instilling thoughts of an ancient realm in our distant past that transforms into the present.

Begin Again is an upbeat song with a pleasant mix of vocals, while Eleyakeha’s Lullaby is a slower paced celestial song featuring Terri’s soft vocals that seem to lull you into a contented frame of mind sure to please anyone.

Looking toward the future, this New Age artist has achieved much in transforming her teaching skills and positive vibes into a vibrant musical journey that she has just offered the world. I expect we will hear more from Terri.

Visit omgaiamusic.com and find Om Gaia at CDBaby, Amazon or iTunes.  Picture Copyright Big Stock Photo – nsilcock.

Note: Terri Liles Mason was nominated Best New Artist by the worldwide broadcasters of Zone Music Reporter, and Terri’s Om Gaia album received nomination for Best Relaxation/Meditation CD and Best Vocal CD at ZMR in 2009.

Australian composer and pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins has 4 award winning projects at present. Her most recent Blue Dream album is successful in placing an exclamation mark after her name when recognizing Fiona’s outstanding abilities and claim to fame in international status.

Fiona Joy Hawkin’s many achievements include charting at #1 on World New Age radio charts spanning 9 countries, Best Piano album in the NAR Lifestyle Music Awards in 2006, and as finalist in 2 genres in the Los Angeles Music Awards in 2007. Fiona also won an award in the Classical/Jazz category in the Music OZ Awards in 2008, and after being a finalist 5 times, she ranked finalist in 4 categories including Album of the Year in the NAR Awards in 2009.

Ice: Serve Slightly Chilled is innovative, dynamic and bold, confidently stated by yours truly. With an inventor’s approach, Fiona Joy Hawkin’s Ice composition is patently administered on her Steinway Concert piano as a new musical prototype. What impressed me the most was a momentary departure from her exceptional, yet more Contemporary albums that won her claim to fame. Portions of the Rock overtones present in this album challenge some of our basic assumptions of the term Piano music. Another concept is a transition in the way Rock music has been perceived in the past, creating a new approach in the way we view the term Rock music.

It is on the Ice: Serve Slightly Chilled release where Fiona’s patent innovation in New Age, Contemporary piano begins, charting an adventurous course in the way a musician blends Classical New Age, Popular, Chill Out, Jazz, World and Rock. With an inventor’s approach, Fiona patently administers a new music prototype on her Steinway Concert piano.

The Ice album discloses more than an improvement made to a existing musical product. Fiona takes an inventor’s approach in redefining the fundamental basics of the way we perceive Piano and Rock music.

The 10 songs on Ice are issued titles with an icy thermodynamic theme, setting the spine chilling mood in motion by providing a mid tempo application of classic New Age Chill. The song Iced Rain discloses a trademark Fiona Joy Hawkins piano arrangement, yet grants an exclusive design concept by applying a mixture of genres and unique instrumentation.

While Aboriginal Didgeridoo echoes an indigenous woodwind call to the wild, ebony and ivory piano keys appear to reach an entire range of octaves to establish a new dimension in piano music that is spine tingling. Thunderous percussion unites with electrified guitar to diagram the upbeat momentum for this ground breaking discovery by commingling Classic piano and Rock music into a single entity.

Cloud Chill is a song innovation that starts out as a meteorological weather advisory on the horizon when native Didgeridoo once again reverbs an ancient voice into the past, present, and future. Fiona’s epic design in piano rhythms then integrate with electric guitar, blending into musical matter cool enough to penetrate what we term Rock music.

Fiona Joy Hawkin’s novel piano composition first finds a crack and expands, breaking the solid barrier of Rock music from a familiar genre, shattering what was once a large form of music into tiny little pieces into a new music entity. The Ice project discloses more than just an improvement made to a prior existing musical product. Fiona takes an inventor’s approach in redefining the fundamental basics of the way we perceive Piano and Rock music.

The 2 songs I just described titled Iced Rain and Cloud Chill are playing on our Stars Radio so that you may hear this invention in music for yourself. You may also read my review of her latest album titled Blue Dream, and then discover the online art gallery and music website of fionajoyhawkins.com.au. Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com.

Classical Orchestral Harps can be thought of as divine or celestial instruments, having an origin dating to around 2500 BC, often reminding one of angels and religious cherubs posed in a holy statue. The harps early origins are ironically thought to be modeled after an archery weapon since the bowed arch with strings strongly resemble a bow and arrow.

Lizary Rodriguez Rios, residing in Tucson Arizona performs and teaches the classical harp professionally, in a career where there is no doubt her masterful quest for perfection is musical in nature.

She has 2 albums designed with therapy and healing in mind, promoting a relaxing mood by the soothing gentle breeze of sound this string instrument with an ancient origin can provide.

Lizary Rodriguez Rios achievements are very impressive, securing a Doctorate in Musical Arts and  4  time prize winner of international harp competitions around the world, also touring with the Grammy Award nominated Harp Fusion Ensemble.

Her first album Harp Voyage has received critical acclaim from prestigious classical magazines, while also drawing attention around the world as a harp soloist and composer for the ensemble.

Lizary Rodriguez Rios achievements are very impressive, securing a Doctorate in Musical Arts and  4  time prize winner of international harp competitions around the world, also touring with the Grammy Award nominated Harp Fusion Ensemble. Lizary Rodriguez Rios is a dedicated harp professional.

Harp Therapy is her second CD release in 2009, designed for those peaceful periods of musical serenity. Her music is purposefully composed for relaxation, massage, and yoga, while also finding a useful niche since the songs serve as the perfect auditory background music during church services, memorials, hospitals, and even wedding events.

Lizary Rodriguez Rios solo performances have other professional musicians playing cello, violin, guitar, with nature sounds and background Atlantic Ocean side tides of Puerto Rico. The 15 songs have many recognizable favorites including Scarborough Fair, Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, and Pachelbel’s Canon. Some original works are also present as the first song Purple Bamboo starts with a healing crystal bowl during the opening portion of the album. Both albums are truly relaxing, offered by a dedicated person who has pretty much devoted their life to music.

For professional harp music for relaxation or special occasions visit lizary.net. Copyright Bigstockphoto.com – ReplayAll.

If you are not color blind, the colors that we see in everyday life are interpreted as wavelengths in a portion of the visible spectrum. Specific frequencies of those wavelengths determine exactly which color our eyes translate the brain to perceive.

Contemporary New Age composing artist Lawrence Blatt, who emerged number 1 in the NAR Best New Artist and Independent Music Award finalist, paints a beautiful guitarists interpretation through a color spectrum metaphor. His album is inspired from a description of color relating to physicist Isaac Newton’s color circle titled Opticks.

Isaac Newton had compared colors of the visible spectrum to musical notes centuries ago. Almost as if holding a brush and an artist’s palette of paint, Lawrence defines his own present day theory in a representation of the audible color spectrum in an adaptation of Newton’s principals through his own beautiful guitar compositions.

Lawrence Blatt has his most recent album titled The Color of Sunshine, on the Blue Pie label 2009, displaying 14 songs as artistic strokes in a colorful exhibit of his music, visualized from his home in San Francisco California. Many music influences are represented including New Age Classical, Latin, Folk, and World, blending many beautiful guitar influences in this masterful rendition.

Grammy Award winner Will Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records, lends his talented hand as producer of this vibrant album, also taking part during song recording sessions in guitar, vocal, and percussion roles.

Lawrence Blatt paints a beautiful artist’s interpretation through a color spectrum metaphor. Holding a brush and artist’s palette of paint, he paints a colorful present day theory of the audible color spectrum.

The Color of Sunshine can be defined as intricate acoustic guitar melodies fusing with orchestral instruments and numerous percussion roles, in a unique companionship, portraying a warm and pleasant atmosphere. Lawrence plays the guitars like a pro, having over 30 years of playing guitar.

The song Mar Azul begins with a serene moderate paced beginning and quickly advances to a faster tempo where Latin and World music influences emerge near the outer edges of the color spectrum. Inspiration for this song was drawn from the Pacific Ocean, where the shade of deep cobalt blue waters contrast beautifully with the lighter pastel blue sky. The rays of lighter tones shine brightly by guitar strumming full of runs and bounding rhythms. The warm sounds of Charango guitar and accordion are a fine mix, with violin overlapping in perfect harmony to capture the dramatic ending.

Violet Blue is a song that caught my attention from the very start, having a simple yet well defined ukulele tone melody full of emotion. The multiple classic instruments of South American Charango, acoustic, and nylon guitars, mix with piano and cello, lending to a heart felt melancholy touch to the piece. The rich sound of the exotic Charango captures the primary melody as each note lends itself to a memorable upbeat rhythm that includes light, perfectly times hand clapping that I found interesting and added the ideal touch to the overall effect of the theme. As it turned out, I did a little hand clapping of my own.

The Color of Sunshine is a beautiful album put to an audible canvas. Full of interest and creativity by the many talents put on display in this exhibit it shows, and it shows well.

You can find this musical exhibit at lawrenceblatt.com. Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto.com – HelleM.

I find it very inspiring that so many popular musicians have discovered the New Age genre as a medium to express their musical diversity. New Age music is fast becoming ever more popular every day, compelling by offering musicians a unique category to display their music wares in a sub-genre expression.

Paul Jensen an acoustic guitarist who regularly performs in the Contemporary Folk style of Easy Listening guitar music. His lyrical verses are pleasing to the ear and are perfect for times of contemplation, placing oneself in a relaxing carefree mood, or for pure enjoyment.

Paul Jensen finds his inspiration from the natural wonders of the earth, and it greatly influences his personal style of singing and songwriting, in an expression of natural beauty everyone can discover for themselves.

The Other Side album from 2008 on the Juan Carlos Production label that debuted at #4 on NAR’s music charts is a great choice indeed. It is just right for those times set aside to self indulge in relaxing time spent alone, with a loved one, or with close friends and family who also appreciate the lighter side of easy listening pleasures.

The contributing artists furnish their own professional skills, including Grammy Award winning Will Ackerman, who lends a hand playing guitar, and his accomplished touch in producing this back to nature inspired album.

The 12 songs on The Other Side do emphasize much of what there is to explore in the vast wilderness full of wildlife and natural beauty, validating a more comtemplative approach to music that I found apparent in his pioneer style.

The contributing artists on Paul’s The Other Side release furnish their own professional skills, including Grammy Award winning Will Ackerman, who lends a hand playing guitar, and his accomplished touch in producing this back to nature inspired album.

Paul Jensen discovered an inspiration from the natural wonders of the earth, and is apparent that it greatly influences his personal style of singing and songwriting. Much of the creativity behind his work is drawn from adventurous time spent in the Colorado National Monument in the U.S.

This scenic National Park in Colorado has vast acres of wilderness land set aside for everyone to discover the natural wonders through hiking, horseback, and by adventure filled wilderness trails. This opportunity to discover America’s natural wonders gives people like Paul a chance to explore and grasp the sought after inspiration required for delivering his compelling Contemporary Instrumental Folk music.

In addition to Paul’s performance on acoustic guitar, beautiful vocals provide much of the richness, plus additional distinction is added by the warm characteristics of orchestra instruments. The wonderful instrumentation on The Other Side is enhanced by the cultured sounds of horn, cello, violin, piano and mandolin.

Paul Jensen’s diversity as a guitarist turns The Other Side into a release with a classic touch strengthening the harmonious beauty of his music in relation to our earth’s natural wonders, both of which are waiting for you to discover.

Visit Paul’s easygoing website juancarlosproductions.com. Photos are courtesy Paul Jensen.

It might be surprising to some that literary poetry is thought to predate language in the context of reading, writing, and speaking as a form of communication.  Some important elements of poetry consist of the meter or rhythmic structure of the poem in a measurement involving flow and movement. Proper structure is also an important component when composing and performing as a musician.

American Contemporary New Age artist Nick Farr, apparently has the proper abilities involving rhythm and structure in both music and poetry since his many accomplishments as a composer include being a published author of literary poetry, prose, short stories, fiction and children’s books. His literary career was perhaps second nature to him considering he began classical music studies at age 5 and then pursued music while in college.

Nick Farr has 6 albums total with The Ever Present Now from 2009, on the Riverboy Records label as his latest release. This latest album held the number 1 and 2 positions in NAR’s Top 100 air wave chart in January and February 2009, with additional nation wide online airplay.

Generous mixtures of mid tempo Contemporary Instrumental and nice Jazz influences do give it an aesthetic just right feel by employing the free style he is accustomed to in piano arrangements. Flute, saxophone, horns and strings provide the back drop in some songs, enhancing the classic description and giving it a distinguished tone.

Produced by Grammy Award winning Randy Kling, this release is more classical piano than some of Nick’s earlier albums making a nice medium to show a finer sophisticated mindset without being overly classical.

The 12 songs on The Ever Present Now represent a well versed language of music and poetry by this dedicated artist who reaches into genres of Contemporary Instrumental, New Age, Classical Piano, and Jazz.

The song Solace is a poetic hopeful song, comforting by the graceful flute and piano duet that seems to incorporate well during melodic phrases, lending a hand by consoling stanzas of support.

It is during these passages that uplifting and inspiring verses with note filled piano runs and flute, reveal patterns of consciously timed pauses between instrumental passages.

The song Traveler is a deep moving piece, set to a faster paced melody that is structured by each key change, transforming each refrain into a sonnet set to musical time, never resting during each chord step along the way.

Winter Prayer is a powerful melodic psalm, paying homage by offering a distinctly elegant classical composition.

Masterfully delivered musical prayer requests are often emphasized in this piece, carefully turning each note into a hymn of reverence.

Nick Farr’s piano composition shines from the invocation of this song which is heart felt and moving. Momentary pauses then take place as the final chapter of the song slows, bowing out gracefully upon reaching the closing benediction.

The Ever Present Now by Nick Farr is praiseworthy New Age Classical, embracing all of the structural principals of written prose, leaving one with the impression that his music is thoughtfully displayed in a manner that from the very beginning, deserves the expression of poetry in motion.

Visit nickfarr.com for a classic approach to music. Picture copyright Big Stock Photo – zootog.