The ZMR Music Award Winners were announced on March 14 2010.  Many of the artists we write about were category qualifiers, nominees, or chosen winners in specific categories, and it is always good news when outstanding artists get recognition they deserve.

Every musician in our genre has produced some outstanding music this year,and we have enjoyed writing reviews about many of these musicians at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com this past year. 

In fact, some were recognized in our own NewAgeMusic.nu Best Albums of 2009.

There is no denying that every musician has made a significant contribution to our beloved genre and in our minds, has already become a winner.  We enjoy writing about these deserving individuals and look forward to writing even more  about our featured musicians in the days ahead.  B.T. Fasmer and I would like to congratulate everyone !

Our listing of Qualifying Artists we feature here, along with their websites can be found by clicking on the ZMR News Tab located at the top, or by clicking on the provided links in each review or interview.

Visit zonemusicreporter.com to see the complete  Category Awards List  and then be sure to read our NewAgeMusic.nu Best Albums of 2009  right here  or in the above Music News tab above.

Expect this website to bring you even more about the musicians we feature here.  Below are the individuals we have been writing about who received top honors at ZMR for 2009.

                                                                          Fiona Joy Hawkins 

                                                                          Blue Dream Album

                *Album of the Year *Best Contemporary Instrumental *Best Contemporary Instrumental / Piano

                      David Wahler                          Michael Brant DeMaria                      Michael Brant Demaria

                      Antiquus Album                      Ocean Album                                     Siyotanka Album

                     *Best New Artist                      *Best Ambient  & *Best Relaxation     *Best Native American

                      Michael Stribling                          Bruce Michell                                   9  Muses

                      The Promise Album                      New Earth Goddess Album               Feel to Heal Album

                     *Best Electronic                             *Best Neo Classical                          *Best Chill / Groove

Again we invite our readers to visit each individual artist website by our links provided within every review.  You can find their individual reviews by scrolling down our main pages or by clicking on their names in the right hand module to visit their dedicated page here at NewAgeMusicWorld.Com.

The ZMR News Tab at top lists every qualifying musician we have written about this year at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com.  Every artist has a home here, and we will be posting more about them in the future.

Michael Stribling is a licensed family therapist who knows much about life’s transitions.  The Promise is his current album under consideration at ZMR, and this video of At the End of the Day from Another Day in Paradise shows an ocean sunset while giving another example of Michael’s appreciable ambient music.

Visit leela-music.com to read about Michael, then read my review of The Promise titled Promising Transitions in Music. 

Since everyone must make life transitions whether they really want to or not, let me tell you a story about a musician from Fresno California who has a successful history of making transitions and can perhaps offer some insight on the subject of change.

Michael Stribling is an award winning New Age composer who readily embraces change having already made many positive adjustments in his lifetime.  His just released album titled The Promise smoothly arrives at the next stage of his long career in music with a look and feel that confirms and conveys an admirable composite of Electronic and Ambient music.

Michael’s transitions include earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Music, work as a radio announcer, performing in theatre musicals and playing percussion for Johnny Mathis just for starters.  His story gets even better since after then becoming a successful Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist offering help to those who needed a hand with their transitions, he returned to his earlier love and formed Leela ( Divine Play ) Music.

I formed Leela Music to undertake a very simple mission :  to help others in their journey towards wholeness through the gift of music, by creating works that inspire and uplift the human spirit.                              Michael Stribling

This return to music is beyond more than promising since Michael’s first album  Songs of Hope and Healing  made it to #  1  on the Top 100 in NAR / ZMR charts, securing the Electronic Lifestyle Music Award in  2006  and  Out of the Darkness, Into the Light,  lit up the #  2  spot on the Top 100 in January having  2  nominations for the Lifestyle Music Award in  2007.  Another Day in Paradise  is indeed praiseworthy, while  Love, Light, and Water,  earned nomination for Best Relaxation / Meditation Album in 2008, making each day even brighter for this independent recording artist with an optimistic outlook toward the challenge of change.

Michael Stribling has clearly made many successful transitions in his musical lifetime, giving him a first hand perspective to help others cope with change.  The positive yes responses shown in his earlier music and in this brand new release only proves his natural composing abilities for bringing hope and inspiration to others.

The Promise  is Michael’s very latest to deliver  14  original songs like his newest composition in musical ambiance is an autobiography of his attitude, comprehension, and inner thoughts drawn from daily observations, then transcribed into beautiful music. 

Beginning with  Bright New Day  a crisp new perspective is announced by abundant keyboard activity that vividly lights the occasion while percussion distinctively beats beside a synthesizer full of energy,  creating much animation by the opening number to forecast what lies beyond in future melodies.  Daily Living  likewise moves right along in style and tempo by the upper register bell tones that counteract with middle range melody and is much like the positive vibes given in  Angular Reasoning  and the uplifting theme projected during  All In Good Time. 

Like many songs in his prior projects this album does take timely breaks into the deeper hues of contemplation and reflection. 

Forgotten Dreams  exemplifies this apparent yin and yang transition to a more down to earth reasoning with a single oboe tone melody bordered by a mesmerizing and hazy background, touching on a bit of sadness which is after all, a valid part of the total human experience.  Love’s Anticipation  also brings a realistic and happier yes response by the lighter melody along side piano passages, much like the easy going natural feel presented in  Distant Shores. 

Title song  The Promise  begins with a quiet moment of solitude in a melancholy horn tone wrapped in sadness,  but this moment gently advances forward in a creative moment of divine intervention nicely provided by the artist.

Changing the piece by one moving sweep in music composition, this percussion backed melody gently makes a beautiful transformation  from an already graceful song into a lovely song of splendor, very much like a caterpillar cocoon would change into a butterfly, keeping the promise of inner peace and harmony everyone discovers in the final stages during each of life’s transitions.

Visit leela-music.com here and then sample at CDBaby.com here.