It all began in the early 1980's with a recording titled "December." The artist was George Winston and for some strange reason, people really liked it. The music was different. It seemed to go nowhere and float on the air. No matter. People liked it.
Then something peculiar happened. Marketing executives at various record labels didn't know what to call it. After all, this music needed some kind of label or classification to sell it to the public but what? Then some idiot came up with the name "New Age" and the genre has suffered ever since. Even George Winston hates the term and calls his piano music "rural folk."
But, and here's the really weird thing, lots of people really like this music! Unfortunately, many were turned off by the New Age thing. It's true. They liked the music but just didn't want anything to do with anything New Age (whatever that is). I've even had someone email me saying they liked my sample lessons but didn't want to sign up for fear of being labeled New Age.
Look, New Age piano is just a style of music. It has nothing to do with philosophy. It has nothing to do with religion. It's just a style of music like zydeco or polka music. You either like it or you don't.
It's a shame to let such a beautiful and worthy thing as New Age piano fall to the wayside because of labels.
Monday, November 03, 2008
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I may have missed something, but I don't reject the denomination "new age". For me it means freedom, peace of mind and love for the planet and its inhabitants.
ReplyDeletepaulinho
Hi Luis,
ReplyDeleteI hear you. Unfortunately, some people just can't fathom this term and equate it with satan worship and the like.
New age sounds wacky to many people, that's the problem. In the UK it is associated with hippies driving round in old buses protesting at everything and doing no work. New Age Travellers was the common label here (ie. the association with 'tramps' was quite strong). That's people for ya!
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