David Mauk from Las Vegas Nevada is a composing performer with plenty of experience in the entertainment business while advancing in popularity from his 12 Months debut released in 2009.  His first album created much excitement for many and equally so for David since 12 Months received nomination at ZMR for Best Electronic Album and also earned David a Best New Artist nomination for the year. 

Ground Swell is his 2010 release, unique not only by the great mood effect of his classic yet easygoing electronic compositions but some songs were inspired by American realist painter Edward Hopper and Ground Swell is a CD / DVD collector’s edition that beautifully captures the early American century with Cinematic drama and makes a nice collection by any standard.  The 5 bonus video clips are nicely correlated with his unique brand of classic electronic music and are a beautiful addition to the audio CD since the extra sensory effect of video makes it easy for anyone to visualize his ambient music becoming a modern times movie score.

The National Geographic Society has already realized the dynamic effect of his compositions by integrating as their official music with many exhibits including King Tutankhamun, Golden Age of the Pharaohs, Real Pirates and Cleopatra museum exhibits, in fine music that enhances the experience for every museum visitor.

David Mauk has given everyone 2 excellent reasons to appreciate his music in 2010.   The Ground Swell CD alone is a free flowing natural display of bright ambience offered with a harmonious and casual impression, plus the DVD greatly points out the Cinematic enchantment that makes his music special.

Ground Swell is in effect an Ambient, Electronica, New Age album with a total of 14 songs.  The 5 song descriptions I will provide from the CD are ones also listed on the bonus DVD, in this all inclusive CD / DVD collection and you will find the 9 additional songs are sequential to the atmosphere and ideals this album in entirety represents.

Dawn in Pennsylvania has a singular piano melody backed by a deeper synthesizer profile that gives depth to the overall bright and casual mood and is effective at producing a story line of realism by a light atmospheric point of view with cymbal taps and percussion enrichments.   Summertime is like an ode of joyous celebration the summer season always represents, marching right along in attitude by a majestic piano movement.  Lower piano octaves maintain the rhythm while upper ranges move up and down the scales in half steps while bell tones ring in the seasonal event.

Chop Suey relies on tenor drum and percussion rhythms as a prelude to keyboard producing the light staccato note melody with a casual feel.  During refrains the dynamics are rearranged to a deeper tenor and nicely embolden the song while adding tonal drama.  Queensburo Bridge carries nice rhythmical metrics by strings subtle back and forth sway while light synth notes and key changes introduce sparkling overtones into the melodious theme.

New York Movie is a dreamy song that transports you to a different place and time with strings becoming the prevalent character in the lighter melody.  Percussion plays a more indirect role by sharp woodblock notes and when xylophone enters, the soft percussion detailing projects nice sparkling tones in a secondary rhythm.

David Mauk made 12 Months an impressive introduction into New Age music.  Ground Swell is another fine classic that makes musical entertainment an even better experience, offering his appealing to the senses experience like the premiere attractions many people are searching for at this very moment.

Visit the davidmauk.com homepage and then sample / purchase on his music page.  Learn more about David at his MySpace page and then our pages dedicated to David Mauk.

Cover art copyright Kelly Stamblesky – Smith. Picture copyright BigStockPhoto.com – Ondrej Garaj

John :  Thank You for sharing a moment of your time with us today Steve.  B.T. Fasmer and I appreciate this opportunity and I am certain your fans are excited to have this chance to find out more about you too.  Steve, would you provide a timeline description of your music studies beginning with your earliest introduction to the present  ?

Steve Orchard :  Yes, Well I probably go back to piano lessons at 7 years old and then combining guitar lessons at 8.  My one fault would be that I have always been an impatient, inquisitive player of various musical instruments always wanting to discover how things worked quickly and then improvise.  As my Father would say, “Jack of all trades and master of none”.

I played a pretty mean trumpet in the school band and enjoyed singing in the church choir.  My family was very musical.  I had an aunt who was a piano teacher.  When she regularly visited us, from Birmingham, she would want to hear my progress.  She once nearly keeled over when I produced the sheet music for What a Day for a Daydream by The Lovin’ Spoonful ! Outrageous !!!

One side of the family were very properly trained with piano & violin playing and into classical and show tunes, whereas my other granddad was a pub pianist.  He ‘vamped’ and ‘boogiewoogied’ his stuff and played harmonica at Christmas parties…. It was hilarious when I think back.  It seemed to me that he was more joyous in his approach to music.  It’s a belief I still hold today that made me a little rebellious in my approach to making my own music.  At an early age I bent a wire coat hanger so I could play harmonica & guitar at the same time, just like Dylan & Donovan.  It only resulted in me nearly losing an eye and breaking a tooth.  I was the school ‘show-off’ doing plays & pantomimes and guess I fancied a career in something to do with the performing arts.  Like most kids I was influenced by the pop of that generation.

 I was into that ‘Hippy’ thing and meditated, burnt incense and read a lot of Buddhism….

Steve Orchard

In my teens I enjoyed the diversity of progressive rock, like Yes & The Moody Blues, also the gentle folksy guitar melodies of Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, plus the piano troubadours Billy Joel & Elton John & also, the early electronic sounds of Tomita & Mike Oldfield.  I was into that ‘Hippy’ thing and meditated, burnt incense and read a lot of Buddhism…. Took myself a bit too seriously!  I was a bit of a ‘geek’ and lived for my music writing little tunes with terrible pretentious lyrics from about 15, spotty, years old.   

John :  You are a member of the Medwyn Goodall circle of friends as a MG Music label artist.  Can you tell us some of your experiences as a member and what it is like to be a MG Label artist ?

Steve Orchard :  I first heard Medwyn Goodall’s Druid in the July of 1991, in an art gallery in St. Ives Cornwall.  It just blew me away and couldn’t put it in any category that I recognized.  It was more than music… It was an awesome soundscape and I just knew that it fit me like a glove.  I bought it instantly from the gallery on cassette, to play on my ‘state of the art’ Walkman!!  When I returned from my holiday I bought it again from New World, on CD.  And so began a long period of buying up anything to do with Medwyn Goodalls music.

My wife Julie & I started to correspond with Medwyn and he graciously autographed all our CD’s.  He was very open and quite funny.  I’ve kept everything he ever sent me, every doodle and every ditty, including all the Christmas cards ( worth a fortune on Ebay …. only joking )  In our early letters ( this was before emails ) I never told Medwyn that I was a musician, thinking that he may feel I was “chasing my own ambitions”…. unthinkable I know but musicians have been known to do it !!!  ha ha ha

I think I broke the news very humbly, without wanting to sound ‘pushy’ and tarnish this rather lovely correspondence that we were enjoying. He invited me to send anything anytime …. WELL !!!  Boy, did I send him some rubbish, poor guy.  I hadn’t found my NEW AGE feet yet and although I enjoyed this new genre, I couldn’t quite capture it in my own compositions.  He was my mentor, DEFINITELY.  He guided me, no doubt, to where I am today.  After a few stumbles, falls, and many experimental tracks, I sent a track called Lull in The Storm from something I was working on called The Consequences of Kisses album.  He invited me to produce a new project for MG Music !!!

You can imagine that this was a dream come true.  To be working for the man that I had held in such high esteem for so many years.  I soon discovered the family at MG Music is a wonderful bunch and all the other artists swap ideas and tips generally between us.  The amazing Paul Sills soon became a great friend & Charmaine, his wife & Meina, his daughter, travelled down to spend an enjoyable weekend with us.  We had discussions late into the night and played each other’s new or experimental tracks whilst the rest of the world slept.

I realize how unpretentious and genuine all the MG artists are.  Chris Green and I talk on the phone regularly ( very clever & funny guy ) then Simon Lovelock & Clifford White have spent ‘time out’ to critique and give ‘sound’ advice, both brilliant technicians of the art.  In the past I have found musicians to be very protective and guarded with their work but not here.  The wonderful thing is, we are all so different and diverse yet all the same family, producing a vast mix of choices within the same genre, all under the safe and knowledgeable direction of the man himself, Medwyn Goodall.  Be warned budding New Age composers, he will not accept second best on his label. 

 John :  In your own words Steve, how would you best describe your music and what are the main components that uniquely sets your music apart from not only MG label artists, but so many other New Age musicians  ?

Steve Orchard :  My music almost always originates from a guitar base and is then transcribed onto keyboards.  I find the guitar a comfortable friend that I can embrace quietly without any sense of rushing to ‘lay down’ on paper or in the studio.  Sometimes I live with a melody for months before it develops into a workable phrase or shape.

I have a terrible bad habit of not documenting tracks I have recorded. I have folders, in my studio, bursting with hastily scribbled chords and lyrics…. Someday I may return to them for inspiration, that’s if I can decipher them, but I hate going back.  I prefer to always look forward with my writing.  In the making of Raindancer I did a lot of research into the South American rainforest and I story boarded ideas & concepts onto the walls of my studio.  Another strict rule I have is I never ever go into the studio unless I am in a happy, contented mood.  I like to think that when you listen to a Steve Orchard album that, my positive optimism shines through.  Sundancer was almost entirely written in my garden during the summer of 2009.  It’s sunnier than a ripe melon !!!  As Medwyn says, it has lots of energy & warmth.  I think his buzz word for the album was ENERGY !! 

John :  During the early years in Bristol your music was played on BBC Radio and utilized in music scores for various media programming.  In what ways has your music been featured  ?

Steve Orchard :  It seems like a life time ago now but in the 70′s I was in a very popular duo of the time called Mossy, with musical partner Barry Webb ( he’ll be pleased I mentioned his name. )  We played a residency in the cellar bar, at the notorious Bristol Arts Centre.  It was a mixture of folk covers and our own written ‘offerings’.  We earned a lot of respect locally and had a loyal following amongst the local artists, musicians & regional TV personalities ( I seem to remember being invited and attending a lot of crazy parties )  We were also good ‘fodder’ for the colleges and festivals.  At that time we did 3 half hour shows for BHBS radio which led to a spot on BBC’s Friday Folk Nights.  BHBS were still playing the jingle we did for them up until a few years ago ( probably when the tape finally disintegrated ) We had a lot of fun but mutually called it a day in 1980 when we both had growing family’s.  We remain great buddies.

Unbelievable now with all this technology, that I sent out my first demos on ‘spool’ tape.  Perhaps most ended up in the bin but one hit home and I was invited up to Apple’s old offices in St. James Street London for an interview/audition.  They gave me a good look over and I felt optimistic but, sadly nothing ever became of it.  I still have the letter though, dated 6th September 1972 and at the bottom are the printed names of the two directors…. Yes, you guessed, J O Lennon & G Harrison.  In the ’90′s I was asked to do the incidental music for ‘Star Runners’.  It was a short promotional sci-fi film directed by  Andrew Dymond who, I believe, went on to produce ‘Star Hyke’ which was sold to American TV.  I wrote about an hour’s worth of instrumental music but only half of it finally reached the finished movie….. My son Daniel & I had a lot of fun going on an all night shoot for the film, eating Mars Bars and drinking Coca Cola all night to stay awake!!  The studio day was also fun where we recorded my work, with the help of a prehistoric sequencer, onto video tape and mini disc ( very nostalgic )  Later, with the advent of Channel 5′s birth I was asked by an agent to go up to their TV studios in London to perform one of my own compositions for a forth coming daytime TV show, which I did….. The day flew by in a blur and all I can remember is the hideous cost of car parking on the Tottenham Court Road…. Scandalous !!!

… and I was invited up to Apple’s old offices in St. James Street London for an interview/audition.  They gave me a good look over and I felt optimistic but, sadly nothing ever became of it.  I still have the letter though, dated 6th September 1972 and at the bottom are the printed names of the two directors…. Yes, you guessed, J O Lennon & G Harrison.

Steve Orchard

John :  You were a band member earlier in life and in addition, widely recognized as a soloist in South West & London England during the 1990’s.  Could you tell us about this time period of events you experienced and I just imagine there are some good stories you could tell everyone  ?

Steve Orchard :  Blimey… How long have we got ?  I worked a lot. Mainly covers for the pubs, clubs, hotels and summer seasons at holiday parks.  I also did gigs for Army & Navy bases.  If you are into performance then it is an incredible apprenticeship.  You learn a lot about audiences.  I spent 8 consecutive New Years Eve’s away from my wife & kids entertaining 1000′s of drunken party people.  When the nights success relies on only YOU…. that’s quite a responsibility ( oh and the bingo & raffle )  I performed all over the South West with 3 nighters in London gigs sleeping in theatrical digs above a pub (not something I can recommend)  It’s like an athlete.  You build up muscles.  You know when to be funny and when to keep your mouth shut!!  ( Did I mention I did stand-up ?  Don’t do it if you want to retain your sanity ha ha ha !!! )

I’ve known great musicians who were lousy entertainers and great entertainers who were rubbish musicians.  In 2001 I realized that this was not what I wanted to do anymore.  I wanted to return to my roots which was writing & recording.  It was in my heart and the only way I could ‘look at myself in the mirror’ as a serious musician.  Continually gigging, performing other people’s material makes you slightly morose and can leave your creative side sadly lacking.  True, I do miss the adrenalin rush of an audience but what I do now feels right for me and hopefully my audience is out there still enjoying my performance.

John :  Recently I wrote a review for Raindancer and have made plans to review Sundancer & Moondancer when released.  Could you tell us more about your Dancer Trilogy and what each individual album illustrates  ?

Steve Orchard :  Yes, they are companions to each other.  I hope my listener/audience hear Raindancer and think, ” Wow!  I liked that I’d like to taste some more of that.”  Raindancer is very jungle/tribal with some twists and turns in its rhythm’s.  I had this picture in my mind of cutting ones way through dense foliage to find a clearing populated by remote civilizations ( does that sound crazy ? )  The indigenous animals and fauna were all playing a part in my composing.  Raindancer is where I discovered my New Age capabilities.  With the generous direction of Medwyn, I am proud of this album.  Sundancer, as I mentioned is all about energy.  Islands in the sun and deep tropical seas yet cooling sounds in the midday heat.  Rhythms play a big part of this album also and will make people want to move and children dance.  My youngest son David is a gifted illustrator having produced many published children’s books has preliminarily designed both, Sundancer & Moondancer album covers.  Obviously this is still to be confirmed but his work on all my other albums can be seen on my website.

Moondancer …. Is still under wraps.  Suffice to say, this is the cool of the evening.  The Moon is out in a cloudless night and a billion stars lead us to imagine what life could lay beyond them.  This album is entirely recorded on my new studio and at this date still has to be completed but I have some ‘can’t quite keep still’ ideas in my head.  I would just say, “Watch This Space!”

John :  There is a lot of great instrumentation on the Raindancer album.  In addition to acoustic guitar what are the instruments you play, and recently you told me about an upgrade to your project studio, so could you tell everyone the story behind this recent upgrade  ?

Steve Orchard :  Raindancer is a completely ‘live’ album.  By that I mean that it is layered onto a hard disc in the same way as working with analogue ‘tape’.  That’s not to say it suffers from any sound quality but I felt I needed to embrace a tiny bit more technology going forward.  My main keyboard friends are my trusty Korg Triton & Roland Sonic Cell, with expansion boards, plus some other concoctions!!!  Anyways on with a story…

By now Medwyn and his lovely wife Wendy had become my good friends.  He invited me down to his home in Helston, in Cornwall, for a visit and to look at his studio with perhaps, an insight into the more sophisticated way he works.  WOW !!!  I only say that because a lot of your fellow members and readers of this site will be saying WOW !!!  He was considering completely re-building his studio and giving me the opportunity to ‘adopt’ & ‘adapt’ his studio.  This is ‘THE STUDIO’ which is responsible for selling over 4 million albums.  It was January and the worst winter the UK had seen in 30 years.  I was doubtful whether I would be able to make the journey as heavy snow had fallen over most of the South West.  I travelled the day before our meeting and the journey was a little ‘hairy’ ( that’s a British expression for OMG !! …. another icey patch!!! )  I just had to go and meet this man face to face. He had a reputation for being ‘very private’ and not conceding to personal visits to their beautiful Cornish home.

I have to say, that information could not be more wrong.  From the outset he was warm and friendly, and we spent the long day in his studio exchanging much humor and banter.  I felt relaxed in his company immediately.  To be sat elbow-to-elbow in the studio with him was an unforgettable experience.  Such ease of understated talent was remarkable ( no, not me, him…. only joking ).  Wendy arrived home from there very busy offices and warehouse in Helston and they were gracious enough to take me out for a memorable meal that evening.  Suffice to say, I returned the following day with the ‘HEART’ of Medwyn’s studio and since then have amalgamated it into my own studio I think, really successfully  ( you will need to wait for the completion of Moondancer to make that appraisal )  I personally can’t wait… It’s going to be special !!  

John :  On behalf of our visitors and your fans we Thank You again Steve.  Before we go is there anything you would like to bring up or tell your fans  ?

Steve Orchard :   I have made so many friends all around the world with the release of Raindancer.  It has been a privilege to be able to share my music at last, with so many enthusiastic people.  This is what encourages us composers to continue to ‘up our game play’ to continually raise the standard, stretch, and find the best we can be.  In the spirit of all MG Music Artists I will always try to answer all emails and help other budding musicians in their quest. Everything is possible.  It has been a long journey but I still feel opportunities lay ahead of me.  So many friends & family ( my closest love & confidant Julie, my wife of 31 years….  She’ll be pleased I mentioned her name again! ) have supported me over the years even when I may have floundered….  A good friend once told me, ” The thing with you Orchard, is that you are PERSISTANT ” Oh Yes!”…. & keep smiling !

Visit the steveorchardmusic.co.uk homepage right here. Sample his album at his music page and learn more about Steve on his biography page. Visit his MG Music profile page to sample / purchase then learn more about every MG label artist at the mgmusic.ltd.uk website.

Sundancer & Moondancer covers by David Orchard. Raindancer cover by Medwyn Goodall. Other pictures copyright Steve Orchard.

Davol’s music eloquently brings a positive and energetic influence to the forefront of New Age music and today we hope to encourage every visitor to learn more about him.  Review publicists B.T. Fasmer and interview host John P. Olsen have published earlier reviews of his current album Good Sign and we invite you to read these reviews on our pages dedicated to Davol.

John :  Thank You for sharing your time with us Davol.  Your April 2010 release Good Sign is an excellent album and another fine release of the 6 albums total you have produced since your decision to pursue music as a new career in 1989. 

Good Sign is successfully making waves with your large fan base and ZMR charts presently have listed at # 2 for May.  This is great news naturally, but I personally believe much more recognition may be in store for Good Sign.  What are your thoughts on the direction this album is heading and do you set out to win awards and earn top recognition  ?

Davol :  Although I always try to keep my music at a high standard, I was pleasantly stunned to see how this album has taken off!  This is the first time I’ve worked with the renowned promoter Ed Bonk, and it’s been quite rewarding.  Every aspect of a creative project is educational, including the promotional side.  As for awards, we’ll see what is possible …   maybe you could help me out with a Grammy nomination ? !      

John :  Hey, B.T. and I will see what we can do …. Lol !   What you said about Ed Bonk is true.  We consider Ed a good friend and hear the exact sediments from his clients all the time.  Everyone speaks pretty highly of Ed Bonk ( Lazz Promotions )

Your scholastic training in jazz, classical piano and harpsichord were early prerequisites in your move toward the more modern music influences you produce today.  Would you provide our visitors an outline of your studies and music history  ?

Davol :  When I was quite young I started with the trumpet.  But the monophonic nature of it frustrated me, so I became interested in piano at the age of 12.  I studied classical piano a bit, and harpsichord a little in college.  I’m actually now studying jazz piano with a local jazz master. It’s challenging and fun.  I’m probably his most remedial student, still learning the basics!  In a sense, I kind of feel like my compositional work exists very separately (in my brain and heart) from my previous musical training. Obviously there is some kind of relationship and influence, but I really feel like the electronic music I write is more influenced by my love of pop music.

John :  You have a PH.D and had begun an already successful career as a medical researcher and microbiologist until 1996 when you then chose to begin a commercial venture producing multimedia music.  What were the timeline of events that led to your decision to pursue music as a new career and was this career move an easy choice for you to make at the time Davol  ?

Davol :  Oh gosh no, it wasn’t easy.  I had worked so hard to become a medical researcher and get my doctorate, but I was also very burned out.  I was doing music professionally WHILE I was finishing my PhD in microbiology and continued doing both simultaneously over the years.  The problem was that to be a really good scientist, one must be very focused.  In other words, you work in the laboratory in the daytime, and you’re expected to read journals and write papers in the evening.  I wanted only to write music in the evening!  So there was sort of a mutual incompatibility with the two careers.  When I left science, I felt that I had learned a great deal and had published significant work.  That was satisfying.  I actually did return to science in the last 5 years, sort of in a roundabout way; I was a public health educator for a Hepatitis C non-profit organization.  I was giving educational talks about HepC, mostly to ex-convicts who were on parole.  It was a very unusual and educational experience.

John :  I read at your website that many of your albums are designed with a theme in mind based on events during the time period.  What themes are behind Mystic Waters & A Day Like No Other ?

Davol :  Mystic Waters was released in 1989, a time when “fantasy” albums were all the rage.  So, it was conjured up with that genre in mind.  There was a sense of peace and tranquility, a sense of fluid movement, like water. 

A Day Like No Other marked a pretty big change in my life, sort of a reinvention, as I hadn’t released an album for 7 years (since Open Book).  I wasn’t sure that I would do any more albums, frankly.  I was burned out and was now producing on my own label.  Also, ADLNO was the first album I ever wrote and produced without any co-producer.  In other words, I had to finally trust myself, in a very singular sense, and believe in what I was doing!  Also, ADLNO was the first album I wrote in a completely software-based studio environment, so the toolset and sound palette was utterly different from the past.  It moved me more into a guitar-based sound that I find very appealing for the pop-style in which I write.  So, the ADLNO album represented everything “fresh” and “new” to me, hence the name.

John :  Nice reinvention Davol since A Day Like No Other happens to be one of my favorite albums !  There were some particular circumstances happening during the production of Good Sign.  What was going on at the time and how did you maintain the Davol can do attitude  ?

Davol :  Yes, some challenging things …  a couple of close loved ones struggling at the end of their lives and passing on, I had to move my mother into a retirement home, find a home for her dog, empty her house and sell it, etc, and a 14-story high-rise was built directly across the street from my home.  That meant 1.5 years of incessant noise, my street closed off every day, etc.  It was overwhelming.  Oh, and I almost forgot, the interior of my house flooded, TWICE. 

Due to the construction, I ended up working on the Good Sign album in the evenings.  I would start work after dinner and finish at 2:00 am.  It was a very unhealthy lifestyle for about a year, but hey, I got it done!!    I think the album truly was my catharsis, so the focus was JOY, OPTIMISM, and POSITIVITY!

John :  After listening to several prior radio interviews at your website and it’s pretty easy to recognize you are a positive and upbeat person as you were saying and just like your music reflects.  Is it your intent to instill a positive influence into all of your music and just how exactly do you transfer a positive personality trait into musical notes  ?

Davol :  I guess I have always tried to keep a positive outlook in life. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the tedious minutiae of the day-to-day, but important to never lose sight of the fantastic gifts we all have.  Certainly I try to convey that optimism in my music, but hopefully without being cliché or trite. That can be a fine line, I know.  It probably sounds like a really old fogey thing to say, but I’m so glad that I was young when I was!  Fashion ads were largely about people with smiles on their faces when I was young.  Nowadays, so much of the advertising looks like a bunch of mean, unhappy people wearing sunglasses and deadpan looks – so much pretense and attitude.  I like the concept of “hope”, so I would never make a good Buddhist   

I think there is also often a slight tinge of melancholy in the music I write.  Sort of a mix of bright optimism blended with a small amount of “reality/regrets/disappointment/loss”.  I prefer that 90:10 mix.  I can certainly appreciate very dark music, it’s just simply not my forte to write in that genre, so I typically don’t.

John :  Yes, I love the dramatic notations you infuse into your work.  Has today’s technology made a big impact in regards to the way you have composed music in the past, and what electronic equipment do you use  ?

Davol :  Yes, definitely.  I work on a Mac, using the sequencing host Logic Studio.  My soundset includes instruments from every major software synth manufacturer.  I’m particularly fond of MusicLab’s RealGuitar product.  It’s the BEST for acoustic guitar strums that layer so beautifully with my synth textures.  It gives everything a wonderful energy and feel.  Using a software-synth studio has advantages and disadvantages, but I’ve chosen to simplify my life by not using any hardware instruments anymore.  I could never turn back now.

John :  Good Sign features a song called Truth 2010.  This is the first time you have made the Truth song available on CD and is the remix of your conceptual Truth Video that created a dramatic reaction among many people and considered political in nature.  How and why did you produce the Truth Video, and what where the political and competition events occurring during production  ?

Davol :  That was a creative vanity project that appealed to me at the time.  And I had never done a video and wanted to learn how to create and edit video.  Needless to say, THAT took a great deal of time, but was fun.  That was back in 2007 and there was so much political discontent in the US, that I wanted to take a few steps backward and comment on the fact that so much of our “reality” is based on media stories that, for all we know, may have very little to do with the truth.  If the past is any judge, everything should be suspect.  But we pick and choose, deciding that story “x” is reasonable and we believe it, but story “y” is crazy and we reject it.  We do this in history and have created a revisionist history that is written into textbooks.  If we know that about history, why don’t we view current events reporting with the same skepticism?  So, to return to your question, my focus wasn’t so much on the current politics of the time, but taking a glimpse at the last 100 years or so of US history, in particular.

John :  Do you plan to release more CD albums and song videos in addition to the current ones featured on YouTube, and I ask this half joking Davol, but do you consider yourself a political activist in a sense after the Truth Video ?

Davol :  No more politics! Read my lips!     I really want to focus on what I do best, simply write music.  And that is where my heart and head truly reside.  So, no more detours or distractions from the music.  Videos take so much time, that I don’t care to be involved in that either, although others are certainly welcome to consider such a project using my music – I’m open to that.  Albums are definitely my focus for the future.  As for CDs, well, they will soon be obsolete  

John :  It has been a pleasure to meet you Davol.  B.T. Fasmer and I will keep our visitors informed on the latest news about you so let’s keep in touch.  Before we go today, is there anything you would like to tell your fans or bring up that we haven’t talked about  ?

Davol :  I came so close to abandoning my music career before the A Day Like No Other album, that I just want to thank everyone over the years who has emailed me or left a comment on my Guestbook page.  It is truly those supportive words, stories of moments in people’s lives where my music touched their hearts that have kept me creating.  I thank you all, and hope to keep providing music that will intrigue and touch listeners in a meaningful way.

John and B.T. Fasmer, thank you so much for supporting independent artists and this opportunity to share with fans.

We encourage our visitors to learn more about Davol and the place to find him is his davolmusic.com website homepage.  Read his biography page and go to his music page to purchase / sample or at CDBaby.com page.  Then read our reviews of Good Sign at our pages dedicated to Davol.

Steve Orchard is a New Age artist from the United Kingdom quite masterful at producing electronic instrumental music composed with many improvised mood sensations that nicely culminate into a repertoire of lively rhythms blended with a kaleidoscope of colorful melodies.  The end result is one singular voice implanting a vivid melody image right beside a natural and reposeful atmosphere.   

Raindancer is his current release and first in a trilogy series based in theme on 3 natural elemental word, with each in series containing the dancer suffix.   Sundancer & Moondancer are future releases and I can already tell you that his spirited dancer series illustrates a rare quality of relaxing yet energetic melodies that readily achieve universal appeal.  His prior albums Voyages Beyond Midnight, Salt Water Café & The Consequences of Kisses are highly regarded earlier works and certainly worth a listen too.

Steve Orchard made a great impression on me with his first in series Raindancer.   This admirable collection of beautiful melodies exhibit the standard of excellence and integral voice Steve Orchard so boldly represents, brightly illustrated by his picturesque first release in the alluring Dancer trilogy.

Steve Orchard is a prolific singer songwriter having composed and performed original music for many years on guitar, mandolin, and harmonica, various skin drums, piano and keyboards.  His music was featured on BBC Radio, film scores, local radio jingles, plus Steve was a band member in 100’s of concert venues with other artists and a well recognized soloist in South West & London England during the 1990′s era.

Raindancer begins the initial splash of bright colors painted on a fresh musical canvas in a vivid song portrait titled Tribal Fire.  The lighter vibrato in soprano vocals make the primary background shades to flute’s breezy hues, nicely accented by snare drum taps and free flowing rhythms.  Keeper of the Sacred Trees & Cajon Sun are enhanced pan flute and keyboard melodies attuned to light synthesizer bordering while percussion assists by even handed rhythms in a fine blending of tropical harmonies.

Acoustic guitar then takes a turn holding the primary melody brush in Cajon Moon, primed with a steady synthesizer outline backed by flute and tenor drum. Guitar and pan flute emblazon the impression by a faster tempo in free flowing songs Amazona, Pathway Through The Forest & Festival, with each song inscribing bright reflective patterns by progressive guitar rhythms, flute expressions and percussion cadences that portray a flamboyant resemblance.

Passion Flowers & Where Rivers Meet are compositions with airy Latin & World influences which make easy going songs by light flute notes dreamy ambience and gentle tracing by guitar strums having a soft percussion mix in the first, then tenor drum outlining in the second. Road to Manaus has a dreamy groove concept by light flute refrains intertwined with deeper keyboard and acoustic guitar that travel along a harmonic pathway together with even symmetry.  The orchestra phrasing with strings and resolute percussion smoothly enhance the delightful mood illustration in this song.

Anocondas Caress completes the colorful spectrum and gives one a chance to admire the total picture on this album filled with exotic surroundings.  In an exclusive move during composition, this song is quite captivating using two metrical rhythms where flute nurtures the primary melody while guitar draws on half step chord rhythms during a concurrent secondary melody, rising in chord phrasing to nicely elevate the tropical atmosphere. 

This beautiful song in proportion to the entire album is a nice exhibition of the integral voice Steve Orchard so boldly represents and in addition, sets the standard of excellence for his all inclusive Dancer Trilogy.

Visit the steveorchardmusic.co.uk homepage right here.  Sample Raindancer on his music page and learn more about Steve on his biography page.  Visit his MG Music profile page to sample / purchase then learn more about every Medwyn Goodall label artist at the mgmusic.ltd.uk website.  

Cover design and layout Copyright MG Music courtesy of Medwyn Goodall. Below Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com – wtolenaars

Bruce Kaphan from California has taken petal string guitar to a whole new level in New Age music for years, making this instrumental transition not only a surprising one but a dazzling one, giving even music purists a reason to love pedal steel guitar with his earlier release Slider and now Hybrid.  The reason behind his new adaptation in an otherwise strict classification was pretty much the colorful sound quality it provides and a love of exploratory music.

What many find interesting is that Bruce Kaphan began his early career as a studio technician, engineer and producer for many highly recognized artists in other genres, where he either played a role with the recording production of their album or performed with artists such as REM, Jewel, The Black Crowes, Thomas Dolby, John Lee Hooker and many others.  During his early days in San Francisco he was a member of Indie / Alternative band American Music Club and his music has been featured on film scores and television broadcasts.

Hybrid is an album with 12 original song compositions by Bruce Kaphan who makes it crystal clear right from first track Pohaka La that you are listening to a unique composite of exotic blending with unrivaled beauty harvested from another cross section in the vast field of music and it quickly becomes apparent this new emerging beauty will remain a lasting entity. 

Pedal steel guitar happens to be the prominent instrument in Hybrid and a natural selection after listening to songs like Gleaming Towers, Legacy, Silenzi & Renewal, which breaks new ground by classifying the instrument as a main entry melody contender versus a mere supporting instrument.

Songs like piano enhanced Maya and guitar renditions in Senbazuru & Loops for Larry are displayed in a new manner and show the instrument as an appealing choice while clearing a new path during improvisation in light ambience while reproducing a well conceived follow up for his Slider – Ambient Excursions for Pedal Steel Guitar 2000 release.

In an age where hybrids in all shapes and forms are becoming more relevant daily, Hybrid seems like a natural contender when placed side by side among traditional New Age albums and the lighter exploratory metrical patterns of Jazz, Hawaiian and Country in Hybrid are a prized natural attraction that shows well beside other music forms while earning the respect it deserves.  

Bruce enlisted numerous artists on this album including, Jake Shimabukuro, Jeffrey Wash, Kent Darnielle, Salar Nader, Matt Brubeck, Real Vocal String Quartet, David Immerglück, John Loose, Paul Olguin and Karl Perazzo and Real Vocal String Quartet that is featured in Okanagan Jubilee.

Visit brucekaphan.com to sample / purchase or visit his CDBaby.com page.  Read his biography page and discography page.

Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto – nsilcock

Gandalf is an internationally acclaimed composing musician and producer from Vienna Austria first identified as a New Age, Contemporary Instrumental and World artist. While transitioning over the past 30 years of his career, his progressive directive and persona has helped neutralize the customary social borders in multicultural music for years.

Gates To A Secret Reality on the Prudence label is an open manifest of his ambitious return to classic World music. This 1996 album is one of fascination and perhaps a secret gaze into what Gandalf is planning for a future orchestration slated to celebrate his 30 year Anniversary in 2011. This future CD currently being composed is the centerpiece for the occasion, plus a live performance in Vienna will be the setting that accents his milestone achievement.

It was during continental travels to Europe, North & South America and Asia where Gandalf began to realize the prevailing attitudes and many similarities of every continent greatly unites each of us, verses creates a divisional line between countries.

This open border view is much a part of his global World Music ambitions, and perhaps why his style encompasses a unique image while making a valid statement in relation to his cultivated talents and international status.

Gates To A Secret Reality featuring 11 songs with over an hour of world class music is an earlier expedition not to be missed. Gandalf is a multi instrumentalist performing acoustic and electric guitar, charango, piano, keyboards, mellotron, balaphon and indigenous percussions. Enlisting Emily Burridge from England and Peter Aschenbrenner from Vienna, Emily performs vocals & cello and composed 3 songs while Peter is another fine talent performing flutes, soprano saxophone and some backing vocals.

This ensemble in unison has made the album a unique listening experience and beginning with 3 songs Dreamcatcher ( Part 1 ) vocals and flute instill a celestial atmosphere while Gandalf steps up to give an astounding Rock styled electric guitar anthem. This is much in relation to The Power Of Nature & Man’s Promise To Mother Earth performed by the united trio where vocals, flute, keyboard and electric guitar proclaims a powerful majestic atmosphere and is most memorable by any standard.

Many songs journey along more moderate terrains regarding style and tempo yet the fascination remains deep and on a grandiose scale. Footprints In Red Sand is relaxing by the flute and keyboard interludes before building momentum with electric guitar that greatly increases depth of the impression.

Majestic Mountain View is an apt title shown by cello, keyboard and flute setting their sights on a light background depth and then again in windswept song Voice In The Wind, then bells signal the tonal imagery in piano and guitar melody on Along The Milky Way.

Some songs like Ascending On The Eagle’s wings, Dreamcatcher ( Part 2 ) & Floating Down The Silent Stream are lighter ballads nicely elevated by cello Flute, keyboards and saxophone giving a cinematic feel by lighter orchestrations portrayed in a lavish way.

The Wheel Of Life is a moving concerto lightly revolving in time, thought and deliberation, swaying in a gentle way by an enchanting flute melody backed by wondrous piano rhythms. Cello is fluently engaged to intensify the atmospheric warmth and progressive movement this song and the album in entirety envisions, perhaps giving us secret insight into the celebratory atmosphere Gandalf has in mind for us in the year 2011.

Visit Gandalf.at to sample his music and find out more on his biography page. Visit the Munsing Germany based bscmusic.com homepage and then his BSA Music profile page to sample / purchase his music.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – EcoShot

Davol has just released Good Sign which decisively aligns itself to symbolize my description above and become an encouraging assertion to those in the music world already familiar with his first name artist title they are indeed listening to someone known for producing top quality music. 

Successful in many aspects of his life, after obtaining a Ph.D. in 1989 his earlier career as a medical researcher and microbiologist were judiciously shelved in 1996 when he began a commercial venture producing multimedia music.  During the same year his debut Mystic Waters became another personal success and made it to # 15 on the Billboard New Age Chart, where it remained a lengthy 25 weeks. 

The decision to pursue a full time music career was fantastic news to those who already knew of his premium quality melodies, plus the worldwide usage of his songs involving television, radio, video and numerous multimedia production scores has clearly magnified this proficient artisan to many more.

Good Sign is an album that upon closer examination is rapidly multiplying in popularity and already making waves with his fans since the April 2010 release date.   ZMR has set at # 3 for the month of April, so another positive finding for the very latest from Davol. 

The 4 additional albums A Day Like No Other, Open Book, Paradox & Nature Of The Beast are all relatives to his current yet each one is a natural variation that evolves into their individual class, each interrelated by a characteristic source of fascinating drama.

Davol has exceeded his artistic intentions with Good Sign and the early reactions granted to his progressive album does replicate the characteristic source of fascination one will find in his entire discography.  Good Sign is symmetrical to Davol’s principal expression of innovative quality music accented with inspiring drama. 

 Scarborough Days is the first song of 8 tracks that gives you a clear indication of the momentum and direction of this definitive album, along with the resulting positive influences his entire discography symbolizes.  This lively song highlights the optimistic upbeat feel and beautiful keyboard synthesizer melodies those who collect his albums know so well and treasure.

Good Sign ( Title Song ) is more moderate by a light ambient feel that will brush a dark cloudy day away for anyone and promptly replace it with a bright sunshiny day full of color simply by the rich interwoven keyboard melody.

Truth 2010 is an electronic Dance / Club influences remix featured during the popular online video now available on this album.  A heavier percussion tempo prepares the groove rhythms before exploration into deeper shades of electronic intensity and is very much in time when comparing to his conceptual Truth Video which captures the superficial and unbalanced influences often portrayed in television media.

Nautikos is another favorite by displaying a natural sophistication and contemporary elegance given the positively upbeat keyboard melody blending notes to perfection.  This song steadily integrates harmonic spectrums in sound while harboring the glowing standard of inspiration Davol can readily achieve, making this album and his entire music collection an exceptional find for anyone. 

Those already familiar with his captivating music have another reason to celebrate.  Newcomers will perhaps experience this sweeping source of fascination for themselves and learn why everyone is excited about this promising new discovery by Davol.

Visit davolmusic.com to sample / purchase or visit his CDBaby.com page.  You can also find out more about Davol at his biography page and MySpace.com page.

Picture Copyright BigStockPhoto.com – Yakobchuk

Bryan El is our featured interview guest where the topics of Bryan’s 2 albums, Out of This World & Spiritual Evolution and his stunning song videos are open for discussion in addition to a detailed look into what makes Bryan’s individualistic approach to music so appealing. 

Interview host John Olsen recently had the opportunity to visit with Bryan El and today we publish their conversation so that our readers can learn more about the ambitions of this New Age musician easily recognized by his remarkable electronic symphonies.

John :  Thank You for taking time out for our interview Bryan.  Recently I wrote album reviews and posted several song videos from Out of This World & Spiritual Evolution because I felt our readers would find your projects are boldly unique from many other forms of electronic music just like B.T. Fasmer and I did.  I have read many comments from your fans that support my statement too, so it was only logical to ask for an interview so everyone, including your fans could learn more about you.

Let me ask you this first. Many times an artist will say they have another musician’s influence or they “ sound like “ another more recognized artist. I personally feel you break new ground with electronic music in many respects and do not “ sound like “ another artist. Do you agree and share the same thoughts or do you feel your music closely resembles another artist ?
 
Bryan El :  Many people have a habit of comparing the sound of one artist with another.  I believe each individual composer is trying to find their own “sound”.  This can be based on several different songs and styles they have heard throughout their lives and have been unconsciously inspired by them.  Of course I have my own sources of inspiration as any artist does but I feel I am still evolving my own “sound” as I keep producing new projects.

I honestly couldn’t say what my music will sound like ten years from now and that’s what makes it so exciting.  You will always be able to identify similar instruments being used by different artists like pianos, strings and violins, but what matters to me most is the way an artist mixes these together into something unique….  A melody which expresses an emotion like a story that has never been told before.
 
John :  Help me determine what exactly sets your music apart from so many others Bryan.  Is it because your music is Classical Symphony styled, or could it be that your upbeat modern day compositions are the reason you seem to rise above the crowd from many other electronic composers ?  What are your thoughts Bryan ?
 
Bryan El :  Good question.  It’s hard to give your own music a “stamp” of its own kind and I don’t really like to compare my music with other artists in terms of “uniqueness”.  Each artist is trying to capture emotions in their own way and the beauty of it is…. there are no rules how to do it.  It allows composers to experiment by tweaking their own sounds and combining different styles into one to create something new and original.  Eventually it’s up to the listener to determine what sets a specific type of music apart from others.

John :  Out of the many genres available for a musician to explore, what led to your decision to embrace New Age and then explore the surreal Classical Symphonic music ?

Bryan El :  It wasn’t a decision really.  It’s not like at some point I decided “hey let’s try the electronic new age category for a change”.  I actually experimented with different things never knowing where I’d end up before I started a project.  I’m not trying to fit a certain “genre” either.  It has never been my intention to compose symphonic electronic music as people may call it.  It’s just the global mix of so many different aspects and influences in my life that led me to create this and I am continuously searching to expand my boundaries.
 
John :  Since your artist title of Bryan El consists of you alone, how exactly do you construct your projects to acquire a full orchestra sound, and do you mind telling everyone what equipment you use while recording ?
 
Bryan El :  Except from the hardware sounds I get from my Motif 6 synthesizer I am using a mix of VST plugins which I load into my Cubase sequencer.  The orchestra sounds like violins & cello’s come from an amazing VST plugin called EastWest’s “Symphonic Orchestra”.  The sounds from this VST have been individual-note recorded giving me the freedom to bend the notes to my own will with every detail.  The choir vocals come from EastWest’s “Symphonic Choirs” which has a speech utility where you can actually type what the VST plugin should sing in any desired composition.  It’s state of the art.  Most electronic sounds come from the ReFX Nexus plugin.  The Nexus is really awesome.  It lets you tweak your own sounds in such detail.  I don’t know what I’d do without it.  Finally the groove is done with Stylus RMX.

I believe each individual composer is trying to find their own “sound”. 

Bryan El

John :  Would you tell us about your introduction to music starting from your earliest introduction up to present day ?
 
Bryan El :  The earliest I can remember is my mother playing these cassettes with very melodic new age/electronic music when I went to bed as a child.  I remember it relaxed me so much and some of those tunes are burned in my memory for life because they had such a deep impact on me.  I believe some of those tunes were by Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, Karunesh and Aeoliah.
It’s no surprise that when I got a little keyboard for my 10th birthday I couldn’t stop playing with it.  Then came the Playstation era.  Apart from the many cool games it had there was this awesome music program for it called “Music”.  It opened my eyes to all possible things that could be done composing music.  It was a basic sequencer which allowed you to freely place your own notes and adapt everything to the smallest detail.

Of course when I listen back to some of the tunes I made on it, I find the sound is quite poor compared to professional sound studio’s but it was a great start for me.  When I was about 16 I got hooked on this cool midi sequencer called “Fruityloops” and made some dance tunes with it which I played at my friends parties.  The Fruityloops was a next generation for me and much more sophisticated, far better sounds and effects.  I was mostly inspired by dance-trance artists like Tiësto, Paul Van Dyk and Armin Van Buuren at the time and I learned a great deal by listening to their sounds, but it wasn’t until I got my Motif 6 synthesizer along with Cubase SX that I started to do some serious composing.   I was 20 years old and could finally do what I always dreamed of and make it sound exactly the way I wanted it to.  It was only a matter of time I discovered the internet would become a great tool of sharing my music with the world and I was surprised by the amount of positive feedback.  I never taught I’d ever get the chance to release my own CD…. let alone two of them :p

It’s a dream come true thanks to AMAdea.  The thing people never seem to understand is that I never actually attended any music school or learned how to read notes.  When I have a melody in my mind I just systematically search and set each separate note in my sequencer instead of playing it live.  It’s quite a time consuming process but patience is always on my side.  I think this proves that anybody can make music if you are determined enough to express your emotions.  I’ve never believed anybody should learn a specific set of guidelines and rules when it comes to music, I am autodidact and teach myself by learning from the music world around me.
 
John :  Since you are one of the many great AMAdea Records Label artists, have you compiled any projects with other AMAdea Records label artists ?
 
Bryan El :  Indeed there are many great artists distributed by AMAdea but I haven’t had the pleasure to work with any of them yet.  Who knows what the future brings, but for now I’m concentrating on a third solo album.
 
John :  Many of your fans have said the song Solaris is among their favorites out of the many great songs you have produced. Is Solaris your favorite also and what do you believe is the reason this song is so popular among your fans ?
 
Bryan El :  Each composer has his own favorite baby and this one’s mine.  Solaris is selected for airplay on several internet radio stations around the world.  I’ve also produced a trance remix of it which has become quite popular on YouTube.  The exposure may have caused the tune to become such a hit among my fans.

When I have a melody in my mind I just systematically search and set each separate note in my sequencer instead of playing it live.  It’s quite a time consuming process but patience is always on my side.  

Bryan El

John :  Your YouTube music videos are some of the best songs combined with visual effects I have seen and many would agree they are well conceived.  Is constructing a song video and getting everything to correspond exactly the way you want it complicated technically ?
 
Bryan El :  The most complicated thing is to come up with an idea for the video.  Once you have that it’s not that hard to assemble the video itself.  I’m a music composer and not a movie designer so I had to come up with the solution of using existing footage to present my own music with.  I have hundreds of DVD’s and have enough footage about anything you can think of so then I just listen to my song while I imagine what the emotion is showing me.  Then I search for fitting footage to the music.

For example…. on my Solaris remix I used small parts of footage from a Tiësto concert dvd and pasted the parts together, muted the original sound, placed my own remix on top and adjusted the footage speed to match my own remix.  Eventually it looks as if DJ Tiësto is playing my remix on one of his concerts.  All you need is a good video editing program like PowerDirector and you can start editing.  Of course none of my video’s are for sale as the images come from existing copyrighted material, but because the amount of footage used is so small it can legally be used under the term “fair use” on YouTube.
 
John :  Could you tell us what do you have going at present, where you are at, and what can we expect ?
 
Bryan El :  I am planning a third album as you know and many ideas have been roughly recorded.  Be patient though….  It will take me at least a few years to get this new album ready.  I can’t tell everyone much about it yet but all I can say to the fans is… it will be worth the wait !
 
John :  I am certain it will be highly anticipated and many like myself look forward to your next release.  I just wanted to thank you again Bryan.  Expect me to write even more about you in the future here at our NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com websites.  Your music along with the videos you produce displays your talents in a profound way.  B.T. Fasmer and I wish you continued success.
 
 Bryan El :  Thank you John & B.T. Fasmer!  You guys are great and it’s an honor to be on your websites.  I also want to thank my fans for their support (it pays for my studio ) and thanks to AMAdea for distributing and promoting my music and for really caring about their artists !

We now invite you to visit Bryan’s new website at bryanel.com right here.  You can also visit his MySpace.com page & CDBaby.com page.  Learn more at his profile page and then discover the many fine AMAdea label artists at the Bulgarian based AMAdeaRecords.com homepage.  The bryanel.com website is also a great place to sample his music and read the latest news about Bryan El.

*AMAdea Records has just announced the grand opening of their independent music store outlet.  You may read about the news here then visit their new amadeastore.com website to read about the specials and vast selection of popular music encompassing every genre they are now offering their worldwide visitors.

Clifford’s insightful inception into the New Age genre emerged as a teen back in 1985 when he released a phenomenal hit entitled Ascension, establishing Clifford as a leading composer and producer that greatly influenced our primal genre in the process.

If you knew Clifford and the significance of his story through the past 25 years you would agree too and knowing his past servitude to our genre, everyone can expect even more contributions in the future since his dedication remains steadfast and paramount.

Clifford currently presides over his multi faceted 21st Century New Media Ltd business specializing in media consultation of Internet, film, software, television, media related training courses and even designed the MG Music website for Medwyn Goodall.

In addition Clifford created the New Age Music Network social forum and operates his New Age Music News website where his business and technical knowledge is eclipsed only by his abilities to compose and produce classic music that greatly defines our beloved genre.

Ascension ll – The Healing Touch on the MG Music label bestows another great testimonial to the aesthetic values of Clifford White and his principal leadership towards a music genre that promises peace, beauty, and calming tranquility with every defining moment. The reverent interludes of 9 classic songs heard in Ascention ll offer gentle concertos with wonderful orchestration in each passing moment of time.

Ascension l l – The Healing Touch is his 2010 sequel that revisits the very essence of Clifford’s younger creative spirit, yet now with newly enlightened perceptions as an acclaimed artist. His music incorporates ethereal sensations in ambience that nicely reinforce the melodic persona of harmonic purity that are identifiable to the achievements of Clifford White and a lifetime of dedication to the progression of New Age music.

Visit cliffordwhite.co.uk to sample / purchase Ascension ll and then be sure to read the Full Biography on Clifford White. Here is our dedicated page at NewAgeMusicWorld.Com. Visit his multi faceted 21st Century New Media Ltd business and the Medwyn Goodall MG Music.com website. Here you may visit his New Age Music Network social forum and his New Age Music News website. Photo Copyright Clifford White.

The Power Within is one song from Ascension ll that gives a fine example of his work and is featured below in the song video, along with an album quote I wrote on my review titled Defining New Age Music.

Clifford White first composing the historic international best-seller Ascension back in 1985 now celebrates his 25th year commemoration by the powerful and inspiring Ascension ll – The Healing Touch. The biography of Clifford White reaches another chapter in his life and music, telling much about the man and his insightful dedication to the New Age persona.

It is true that in addition to his individual concert appearances David who resides with his family in Oregon, has often shared the stage with comparable great talents like David Lanz, Wayne Gratz, Suzanne Ciani, Peter Kater, and a multitude of solo performers, so perhaps a reason some comparisons of his work are made. 

Another reason could be the way up in the clouds airplay since his music is heard on over 220 radio, satellite and internet programs worldwide.  Overcome is a prior album named Best Instrumental Piano Album of 2005 in the Lifestyle Music Awards and Adoration, which also features traditional hymn arrangements reached # 1 on ZMR charts in May 2008, highlighting the integral popularity of his music.

In relation to his music career David also authored the book How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet and founded the educational Music Biz Academy website that helps independent musicians market then advance their individual music careers.  David also founded the free internet based Whisperings :  Solo Piano Radio program having nearly a million listeners each month.

Coinciding like an open ministry of personal faith, Revelation :  Solo Piano for Prayer & Worship is an offertory album of 19 intimate peaceful songs of beauty within, given the honored hymns of worship that persons with or without their own personal inner beliefs will enjoy.

Revelation :  Solo Piano for Prayer & Worship contains 5 new hymn arrangements, 4 original songs and improvisations on 10 modern worship classics and is David’s eleventh release with a rededicated focus on melodic piano music offering a deep spiritual structure. 

Revelation is much like past albums by original content and inclusion of new compositions on age old song hymns from centuries past where church attendees from many religious faiths will recognize in the first few measures. 

David Nevue has a limited degree of formal music studies so recites much of his songs from memory, but believe me this is not apparent when you witness the beautiful music granted to this devout Christian man also identified by a skillful aptitude in his composing abilities and creative spirit while performing his personalized music.

You will discover that David offers his hymns like an open book with a nice variety of thought and feel on each song he performs.  Softly and Tenderly is shown in a like reverence by an emotion filled call during the gentle yet moving piano melody that is more than worthy of this ages old hymn.  Blessed Assurance is an onward moving testament by the lively melody set in a moderately faster tempo that reveals the resolute nature of his work.

Holy, Holy, Holy is a lighter piano improvisation validating the positive hallmarks of the holy trinity and Amazing Love ( You Are My King ) is a more introspective song of tribute and another positive affirmation for the melodies of honor he steadfastly produces. 

David’s version of this Contemporary Christian music hymn is serene by an inner reflection that stands apart from most modern versions and at the same time, celebrates his faithful commitment to Solo Piano music exalting a beautiful reverence overfilled with joyful praise.

Visit davidnevue.com to sample / purchase and learn more about his inspirational music.  Then visit David’s CDBaby.com page and his MySpace page.  To listen to Whisperings Radio go to solopianoradio.com right here.

Within Memory is Craig’s classic memoir that takes a transcending tour into piano music that quickly becomes a meeting place to share moments of harmonious reflection, focusing on moments that everyone can relate to themselves.  Residing in New York City, his regional and United States concerts have also earned attendance with worldwide audiences on the airwaves and during performances in Germany, France, and Japan.

Telling of music influences like Classical greats Chopin, Debussy, Satie and Copland, an intriguing aspect about Craig is that he also tells of contemporary influences like Pop and Rock too, so a classic contemporary structure converges with an overall expansive identity in respect to his original compositions. 

Craig Urquhart holds a Masters Degree in Composition from the University of Michigan, and is a member of ASCAP, serves on the Board of Directors with the Lotte Lehmann Foundation, is a Whisperings Artist and voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (  The Grammys  ) which speaks volumes about his comprehensive musical career.

Within Memory is an album well suited for telling much about Craig Urquhart’s harmonious directive for parallel unity and poetically becomes the equivalent memoir he openly shares with worldwide concert audiences, presented by a memorable and sincere narrative from the heart.

In The Afternoon is the preamble song of 10 for Within Memory, having a bright tonal cheerfulness recited by a frame of mind you will find engaging.  Before The Canvas exhibits a deeper tone and image by proficient piano chords modulation while stair stepping upward during ascending treble scales, changing perceptions with each layer.

Rapture is the benchmark showing a hopeful image to the conceptual pondering and lighter melody.  Laid Back has a nice feel by a treble melody concurrent with deeper bass octaves consistent rhythm while October Bright Blue recaptures a crisp and bright piano overture while making a distinction midst the two songs. Low Tide is the deep flowing melody with pause and intonation nicely enriched with hopeful optimism and song I favored most.  Prairie Flowers flourishes into a gently moving melody while traveling to and from, given the preceding treble notes lead the closely timed counter bass notes while held in a subsequent role.

Within Memory ( Title Song ) concludes the album recital for the listener, but for Craig Urquhart it begins an arranged lineup for abundant visits to many countries during his role as an esteemed  concert pianist.  Later this year Craig is scheduled for concert recitals in the United States, Berlin Germany, Positano and Rome, Italy.

 I am certain the concert events slated for this year will be another wonderful social meeting place for notable entertainment along with an exchange of lasting memories for everyone, especially for Craig Urquhart.

Visit craigurquhart.com to sample / purchaseor visit his CDBaby.com page right here.  You can also read his biography page and visit his MySpace.com page.

Picture Copyright BigStockPhoto – aysarts

Devin Rice & Erin Aas are seasoned musicians already recognized by their proficient styles as individual artists now emerging as a team that writes and performs original piano / guitar and finger styled guitar duet compositions with hand selected musicians adding polished accompaniments on their new release titled Arrival.

Residing in the state of Washington, Devin & Erin had also traveled to Imaginary Road Studios in rural Vermont to enlist the expertise of Grammy Award winning Will Ackerman, so the level of quality on the album’s production retraces their visit to a highly specialized destination.

Arrival is an album where Devin plays piano in addition to guitar along with Erin, showcasing their 15 song compilation that is adventuresome and symmetrical from the first song to the last.  After meeting for the first time several years ago, I felt their earlier mainstay as professional soloists has been doubled and enhanced using simple math, along with their broad variance in individual styles.

Devin Rice & Erin Aas, have selected skilled artists along with Grammy Award winning producer Will Ackerman, to emerge as a fortified musical team, and by virtue of each artist’s specialized skills, has attained a winning strategy with Arrivial.

Thyn Ayre is the crisp beginning song that sounds like a down to earth journey put to sheet music, like Procession, where a wonderful just right feel becomes the standard atmosphere.  These folk styled narratives flourish during the piano and guitar duets set in a moderate tempo like most of the 15 songs.

Borderline is a breezy guitar duet by Erin and Devin, while their Tribute to Robert Frost expresses a more stately approach that includes percussion rhythms backing majestic piano melodies with subtler acoustic guitar highlights.

Lively acoustic guitar and percussion rhythms are heard on the memorable song Nevada, while Something About A Harbor has piano lead in for guitar, with rich melodic tones showing depth in a natural way.  Perdido En Granada, Lullaby For Now & For JB are gentle and more introspective songs with English horn and cello support that compliment the pleasing atmosphere.

Whiskey In The Watertower is truly spirited and a nicely coordinated guitar duet, featuring Will Ackerman on the final guitar solo that resembles Pulborough Spring by taking an up-tempo direction from the primarily moderate paced piano and guitar duets with instrumentals.

Rich cello harmonics are the scenic backdrop in songs, Morning With Annie, Southern Breeze, & Stars of Winter, with the latter song taking an adventurous free flight expression during the melody and refrains that gently lands with guitar, cello, and piano uniting in an ensemble.

Although solo albums are a mainstay and pleasing source of enjoyment, Arrival is a nice departure from singular solo albums given the enriching instrumentals and contrasting styles of the two principal soloists. 

This departure notably doubles the harmonic value for the listener, along with Devin & Erin who have doubled their musical achievements together as a team, and as individuals.

Additional musicians include Derrick Jordan on djembe with Eugene Friesen & Traci Hoveskeland giving cello performances on several tracks.  Jill Haley lends her talents on English horn and Will Ackerman is featured in the final guitar performance.

Visit devinriceanderinaas.com to sample / purchase or at their CDBaby.com page.  Click on their biographies page to read about their backgrounds and how it all began.  If you would like to visit the Imaginary Road Studios go to williamackerman.com right here.

Picture copyright BigStockPhoto – MelMcNaughton

John : Thank You for allowing us this interview and congratulations on your recent win for Best New Artist of the Year in the March ZMR awards. It was welcomed news to B.T. Fasmer and I when we heard of your recent win and recognition by the Best New Artist award. You are also a recipient of our own NewAgeMusic.nu Best Albums of 2009 awards prior to your second award, so you have been in the music news quite a bit recently, now recognized and firmly established as a highly regarded composing musician. 

You must still be pretty excited about receiving high recognition as an artist following your debut album. I am just wondering, did you aim high and set out to achieve this high level of success as a new artist, or did everything just fall right into place while composing Antiquus ? 

David Wahler : Thanks John for your congratulations. You and B.T. Fasmer have been great supporters since the release of ANTIQUUS. I really appreciate that. The Best New Artist Award was a wonderful surprise, capping off some ‘best of’ lists and several favorable reviews. I did aim high with my first album, as I am aware of all the superb artists who are creating in this genre right now. Putting together ANTIQUUS, however, did seem to flow rather easily, almost like writing a song that ‘releases’ almost effortlessly as opposed to one that one labors over for days and days! The music, concept, titles and art came together fairly quickly and with very little hesitation. 

I did aim high with my first album, as I am aware of all the superb artists who are creating in this genre right now. 

David Wahler 

John : After listening and writing reviews for both Antiquus & A Star Danced, I honestly felt you were poised for much recognition from the very beginning like many others. After final completion of Antiquus, did you feel confident you had a winning first album and have high expectations yourself, or did you have some reservations about the reception of your first album ? 

David Wahler : My co-producer and partner, Rick Stevens, and I had no idea how the album would be received. I don’t know if any artist knows how their music is going to resonate with their listeners. I just heard an interview with David Arkenstone where he said that he still has second thoughts and reservations when he releases a new album….. so there you go, and from a great artist with many years of proven success. It’s one of the ‘great unknowns’ I guess, that I will always be burdened with! 

John : These reservations among great musicians could be universal then I suppose. David your early success as a musician is quite impressive, and your formal educational studies in music are equally impressive. Would you describe your formal music and educational achievements for our readers ? 

David Wahler : I was a ‘piano kid’ in my little farm town of Belvidere, Illinois growing up. My first piano teacher, Nellie Canfield, was almost 90, and instilled in me a love of classical music. I remember her driving three of her students (including me!) on a cold winter night to hear the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play a concert of Ravel, including the Piano Concerto in G and the beautiful Daphnes and Chloe Suite. I was 9 years old and had never heard a live musical concert. You can just imagine what an impression that made on a young musical kid’s mind! From there I dedicated myself to learning the piano. I attended Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin as a piano major. After a couple years there I felt the tug of the big city and I transferred to Mannes College of Music in New York City. My teacher, Mme. Olga Stroumillo, was a great friend of Vladimir Horowitz from their youth in Russia. She introduced me to the great music of the world, and indeed, the great musicians and pianists, from Alicia DeLarocha to Nadia Reisenberg. I began playing for vocalists as a professional accompanist in debut recitals. It was there that I learned the song or ‘leider’ repertoire and gained a real appreciation for the melody. I gravitated to the theatre world in New York and became Musical Director in productions off Broadway. After a couple decades of non-music, making a living in the corporate world, I decided that I wanted to learn to produce my own music. I enrolled in Berklee College of Music’s Electronic Music Production program. I knew I had the music in me, but mastering the electronic part was the big question. I’m definitely not one of the ‘gear geeks’ I studied with at Berklee, but little by little I came to understand (and love) the technical side of what I do. 

John : I am guessing your earlier music background has helped ease your transition to New Age / Electronic music. Did you find the change in genre style more challenging than you had imagined, and since the term New Age leaves room for interpretation, how would you best describe your unique compositions ? 

David Wahler : Really John, it’s been an easy transition from my classical music background to the music I produce now. With all the wonderful virtual instrumental sounds available now I’m able to incorporate many of the orchestral instruments into my music, from flutes to oboe, harp, strings and on and on. I also love to design new synthesized sounds to compliment these traditional elements. Yes, the term New Age conjures up different interpretations with people and it covers such a very wide spectrum so I refer to my music and genre as ‘Contemporary Electronic Instrumental’. 

John : I am curious why you didn’t begin composing in more mainstream genre’s like Classical, Concert, or Jazz ? 

David Wahler : That’s an easy question to answer. Because I absolutely love the ‘world’ of New Age music. From George Winston and Will Ackerman to Vangelis and Tangerine Dream and Francis Lai. 

Like in the early days I remember thinking to myself, “finally someone is writing music for me!” I also include wonderful film composers like Ennio Morricone and Hans Zimmer, and current New Age masters Paul Avgerinos, Jonn Serrie, Bernward Koch, Thierry David, and David Arkenstone as huge influences in my musical style. 

John : When you first begin a new project, do you already have a structured outline of ideas in mind for what you plan to produce or do you primarily compose everything as you progress in the project ? 

David Wahler : For ANTIQUUS my focus was pretty clear that I wanted to produce an album dealing with ancient myths and distant places. I wanted the music to have a structured, yet dreamy and somewhat mysterious quality. So yes, that album was fairly structured from the beginning. 

A STAR DANCED was much a much different story. It consists of songs that have a very personal meaning to me, and I didn’t have a structured theme, other than the theme of everyone’s human experiences and how we each live under our ‘dancing star.’ 

John : Knowing the success and fine reception with Antiquus, and first initial reactions to A Star Danced have been very positive, do you feel A Star Danced will achieve the same highly regarded recognition, and do you feel your current release is of a higher caliber than Antiquus ? 

David Wahler : Wow, now that’s a tough question John! One of the pitfalls of early success is that everything is compared to the original. I can only hope that people listen to A STAR DANCED with an open mind and not compare the two. While I feel that I have a recognizable style to my writing, I do feel that the two albums are very different. I tried some new things with STAR like collaborating with guitarist Brent Gunter and writing in more of a cinematic style on some tracks, like ‘Peaseblossom’ and ‘Come Gentle Night’. I also added my arrangements of two classical pieces, Debussy’s ‘Reverie’ and Faure’s ‘Pie Jesu’. It was a challenge to revise these two pieces in a way that would honor the original compositions and yet add a new, fresh perspective. I believe that I was able to achieve those objectives. 

John : Yes, I see your point and agree both of your albums have their individual merits, and happy for you that both are held in high regard. Your current album is dedicated to family members past and present and wondered if you don’t mind telling our readers a little about the life circumstances surrounding the dedication of A Star Danced ? 

David Wahler : ‘Missing You’ was written while my father was lying in his bed in a coma, dying of Parkinson’s disease. I thought how poignant to be missing him already before he had died. 

‘Yvonne’ was written for a family member currently waging her battle against breast cancer. It is a tribute to her beautiful spirit and her unspoken ability to teach others the beauty of life. But I ultimately added these tracks to the album for everyone who has a ‘Yvonne’ in their lives, and everyone who is missing someone – parent, lover, friend, child, pet, relative- who is no longer in their life.

David at his alma mater, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA

John : I believe everyone can see the significance to your tribute now. In my review of A Star Danced, I wrote much about the first song Quest and the final song Quest ( Revisit ) What was the sentiment or dedication behind this song ? 

David Wahler : ‘Quest’ was written for those people in the world who are facing challenges right now. And who doesn’t that include? We are living in perilous, difficult times. Most everyone is dealing with those obstacles that beat them down, obstacles that keep them from reaching their full potential. ‘Quest’ is an anthem, a herald that calls to everyone with setbacks (illness, money problems, death, injury, loss, etc.) to forge ahead and reclaim the spirit of joy and happiness that is our birthright. 

John : Your song dedications are significant to you on a personal level, yet these circumstances remain pretty much universal to everyone. David, there are many hoping you will continue producing music. Do you have current plans for a future album, and what can you tell us about your next project ? 

David Wahler : I love writing in different styles; in fact, I have been working on a meditation/relaxation album that I would like to produce someday. And I love writing music about ancient and distant lands and worlds. ANTIQUUS was perhaps just a beginning…… 

John : I like to leave this last question open ended since we can’t possibly cover everything in this single interview or even this final question. Is there anything you would like to bring up we haven’t talked about yet ? 

David Wahler : John, a year ago I was sitting and listening to some of my favorite music on Music Choice’s Soundscapes and thinking, “how wonderful it would be to have the world listening to my music, to perhaps touch someone with the sounds that come from my creations.” That was my personal ‘quest’, and now that wish has been fulfilled. I believe, that as Abraham says, ‘just ask and you will receive’. I urge everyone to ‘just ask’. 

John : We need to close for now David, but Thank You again for leaving us with your insightful words and allowing us this interview. It’s clear that B.T. Fasmer and I both enjoy your music here at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com. We plan on writing even more about you to present to our readers, so let’s keep in touch. We would also like to wish you and your family the very best. 

David Wahler : Thanks again John and B.T. for your support of my music. And, I’d like to thank my new found fans and your readers, and those fellow artists, broadcasters, reviewers, and industry insiders in the New Age community who have reached out so warmly to me in the past year! 

David has a new website now and we invite you to visit davidwahler.com to sample / purchase or his CDBaby.com page. You may also visit his MySpace page and read reviews for both albums and recent awards on our page dedicated to David Wahler.

Likewise, many of our most popular genres greatly influence the atmosphere, tones, and rhythms  of New Age subgenres to help create a perfect balance in modern music by becoming a liberating escape from more traditional forms of Ambient music.

Balligomingo is one artist title where Contemporary Instrumental, Alternative, and Ambient, reveals an effervescent intermingling with New Age.  The album producers Garrett Schwarz on guitar and Vic Levak on keyboard, along with lead vocalist and songwriter Jody Quine, have enlisted guest vocalist Rebecca Ramone on several songs, to create a sensational new vision and exciting unification in ambience you are sure to find enticing.

Under An Endless Sky is the 2010 release by Balligomino via the Chrysalis Music Group.  This current follow up to their critically lauded 2002, BMG / Windham Hill debut album, Beneath the Surface, is another album I was already familiar with years ago and still enjoy today. 

Balligomingo is one artist title where Contemporary Instrumental, Alternative, and Ambient, reveals an effervescent intermingling with New Age.  Their enchanting escape incorporates attractive female vocals, acoustic guitar melodies, and percussion structures that elevate beautiful yet non conforming ambient rhythms.  Rhythms you will find fresh and energizing.

The multinational band membership is based in Canada and the United States, so distances for members are miles apart and uniquely independent since each performer electronically relayed their unhurried contribution to the album’s construction, verses a studio mix.  This approach has noticeably led to a uniform performance of quality from each member, with appreciable care given on each individual musical contribution.

Under An Endless Sky features 12 songs with modern up tempo rhythms and pleasing vocals that easily provide a timely retreat from more traditional New Age renditions, and most importantly, Balligomingo consistently produces beautiful songs New Age and Contemporary Instrumental fans will easily embrace.

Showing a casual atmosphere with every song on the album, Spinning stands out as a modern representation, where guitar and keyboard ensure the surface reflections of light and color while backing alluring vocals contrasting the imagery of the mood with dreamy idealistic lyrics about endless possibilities. 

I Just Tell Myself is an appealing and melodic song that outlines an intimate picture by the rose colored lyrics and resonating guitar rhythms with strong keyboard chords during refrains, likened to the deep synthesizer posturing in A Beautiful Day.

Under An Endless Sky ( Title Song ) Letting Go & New World rely on light and passionate vocals with nicely balanced instrumentals to nurture moderate tempos showing a partisan likeness towards the overall glowing attributes one will experience throughout this entire album. 

Over You illustrates a soulful groove rhythm by acoustic guitar that is soon personified by vocalized countermoves defining the relationship intimacy by lyrical viewpoint, while Goodbye retraces more progressive styled guitar runs.

Sunshine In Rain is a motivating up-tempo song with percussion making the early moves leading into strong guitar chords taking the song in an enthusiastic direction.  Passionate vocals show a harmonic likeness to bright sunshine throughout the song verses, before keyboards ambient chords become the fading clouds while closing out the song.  

 Balligomingo relies much on enthralling and quality rich vocalists to display their picturesque musical surface, with deeper ambient imagery from instrumental and percussion displaying the pleasing atmospheric rhythms that brings everything together.

 You might have noticed Balligomingo has a pretty album cover, but rest assured that the attraction does reside within the packaging.  There you will encounter the true attributes of Under An Endless Sky, along with this striking Canadian and American group that also stands out as a natural beauty.

Additional writers on this album include, Michelle Lewis and Patrick Upton Jr.  Additional acoustic guitar and piano include, Jerry Sintich, Geraldo Dominelli, and Zirque Bonner.

Visit balligomingo.com to sample / purchase then find out more about their performance tours, and read their biography page.  Visit their MySpace page here.

Johannes Linstead is an Award Winning Canadian guitarist and multi instrumentalist proving his acclaimed talents once again by his current release.  Showcasing his lively artisanship on Spanish guitar, Mistico becomes the well centered focal point and international meeting place for dedicated music professionals uniting from Canada, Spain, Cuba, Greece, Iran, and Venezuela.

Recently winning Best World Album & Best Instrumental Album – Acoustic in ZMR’s 2009 Awards, plus ranking #1 at eMusic.com’s World Music & Jazz / Blues charts, gives the few people not familiar with the quality of his work a little more insight.

Mistico is the successful album that commands much respect, not only by the heart beating origins of another chart topping project by Johannes and his extraordinary Contemporary Latin guitar rhythms, but Mistico becomes an extravagant music festival with top international artists performing by his side. 

Listing just the highlights of his music career, Johannes was recognized in the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards as Guitarist of the Year, had 4 Top Ten charting albums at Billboard, Best World Album JUNO Awards nomination, and 4 Best Album awards at NAR & NAV.  With over 500,000 albums sold worldwide, the long list of awards, nominations, and credits in entirety reaches a length most artists strive to achieve in a lifetime.

Johannes Linstead has a musical style not easy to categorize since Contemporary, Latin, Flamingo, Mediterranean, and World are just some of the essential New Age influences that when synchronized with a vast array of percussion instruments, seamlessly integrate into stylish musical scores that could be more easily categorized using the word festive.

The Happy Song ( Felicidad ) begins this rare international festival of  11  original songs with up-tempo flare, neatly tailored to the elevated atmosphere of the occasion while giving Johannes his first opportunity to sport the masterful guitar melodies for which he has become famous.  The accordion composition smoothly introduces a heightened amount of ambience to the opening number with much fanfare, while groove rhythms in Rico ! move gracefully in counter beat with beautiful electric guitar runs, congas, and bongo drums to interlock in dramatic fashion.

Leisurely strides in Night Dance rely on a crisp Latin styled melody with moderate vocals to generate a nice distinction to a more casual Twilight, where the sheer beauty of guitar melodies lend themselves to a veiled feel of lively sophistication.  Otros Mundos embraces percussion claves, congas, bongo and timbale while playing rhythmic intermediary companion with guitar melodies expert runs through well defined chords.

All She is ( Ella Es ) brings a light breeziness into the storyline, while Coconut Girl outlines positive imagery of the spirited occasion making up this festive album.  Rhumba styled Santa Maria with accordion harmony extends a tantalizing impression of solidarity to the sunny and joyful affair.

Durango brings the talents of many artists into the lively exotic mix, where dejembe, doumbek, and bongo percussions dispense the glitter, while guitar and accordion intermezzos engrave the melodic sparkle.  1000 Veils conveys energetic rhythms and palmas ( hand clapping ) to make a striking contrast to violin’s and Spanish guitar’s well structured verses.

Mistico ( Title Song ) enters an extravagant linage of passion where violin and doumbek perpetuate the energetic tempo and warm festive atmosphere, uniting with resolute harmony while synchronizing to become positively dazzling. 

Much like the territorial borders the world musicians in attendance encountered during the album’s production, Mistico crosses many borders itself, achieving an extravagant repertory for everyone who listens to this celebratory fiesta of music.  Viva Mistico !

The global musicians uniting to form this international festival alongside Johannes Linstead include Anastasios Bigas, Frank Marcos Aular, Jalidan Ruiz, Jordan Abraham, Geoff Hlibka, Yosvani Castaneda, Sina Khosravi, and Laura Fernandez.

Visit johanneslinstead.com to sample / purchase or visit his Amazon.com pages here.

Middle picture copyright Bigstockphoto – Siart. Below picture copyright Johannes Linstead

Spiritual Evolution marks the second Bryan El album, where some stereotypical guidelines in music are crossed, and synthesizer boundaries seen in many modern electronic influences begin a new interpretation. To me, Bryan boldly speaks this universal language loud and clear, marked by his spirited crusade of premium brand electronics in a fascinating second symphonic proclamation.

Visit bryanel.com to sample / purchase his music, then read his profile page at the AMAdea Records label. Our pages dedicated to Bryan El show videos and album reviews for both releases Out of this World & Spiritual Evolution.

This scenario could easily place everyone in many favorite pastimes, but for one concert pianist who enjoys sailing the warm oceanic waters in Hawaii, this description closely matches the wonderful sensations realized while contemplating his next piano album.

Christopher Boscole is the classically trained pianist, composer, and musician where genre’s of New Age, Jazz, folk, and Neo Classical piano, are just some of the elementary influences of his inner expressions as a pianist finding new enlightenment while recalling his personal experiences.

Christopher’s educational achievements run deep, having a Bachelor of Arts in music as a professional music educator performing for over 20 years now that expectedly incorporates his scholastic abilities of quality.  He is also a Master of Music in Studio Music, Jazz, and holds a Master in Teaching degree, also serving tenure as a piano teacher, concert band director, and church accompanist, all of which nicely reinforce his level of expertise.

Inner Voyages is the 2010 release by Christopher Boscole, where after the return trip home to his concert piano, inner recollections and creative observations from voyages of the day are transposed to sheet music for our enjoyment.  These creative inspirations that are drawn from a favorite pastime greatly show original piano compositions as positive memories, and where his freestyle music readily equates these recollections a truly memorable experience for the listener.

A Melody in My Heart & Title Song Inner Voyages makes wonderful first preludes into the total of 12 songs showing inner expressions in a primarily moderate tempo recounted as an uplifting time of restful retreat and overall pleasing experience. 

Heart of Romance share mid range moments of calming ambience with very upper octaves during the final touches, while Spanish Dreamer in a more stirring melody, closely matches the joyful atmosphere of the moment by classic chords journey up and down the note filled landscape.   

Land of Sea and Sky gives breezier moments that smoothly glide in contrasting horizons of calm, where Sea of Spirits reflects leisurely back and forth steps in the scales in notes that give the feeling of time well spent by the song’s more inward introspection.

Cry of the Birds in lingering moments, nicely correspond with key notes that similarly mimic sound imagery of the environment, and Suite Sunrise, has pondering contemplations by a singular key melody paired with upper octave trills where by effect, give a shimmering tint to the open flight of his personal experiences.

Christopher Boscole readily shows much versatility by his prior piano compositions totaling 7 albums.  September Songs & Land Of Music are Contemporary Instrumental, while Shimmer, O Christmas Tree, & Presents Of Angels are Solo Piano, with nominations in 2 categories at ZMR.  His Jazz influenced album Natural Instincts combines talents with great performers in the Instrumental Jazz category, and is a nice selection too. 

Inner Voyages is an album where calmer winds and tides prevail during Christopher’s recollections.  You will find the audible sensations closely match expectations one would discover if they were sitting right beside this music professional while he navigates the warm calm waters of his sensational inner piano compositions.

Visit christopherboscole.com here and sample / purchase at his CDBaby.com page.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – palms

Something I find just as inspiring are the true life biographies of the artists themselves and their individual success stories that sets them apart from all others, and what may be revealed in their futures.  I find their innermost passions and true life stories of their careers incredibly powerful and real.

Clifford White is a musician living in the United Kingdom defining our New Age genre in many respects, and if you knew the significance of Clifford’s story, you would agree we can expect more contributions in the future.  His insightful inception into the New Age genre emerged as a teen back in 1985 when he released a phenomenal hit entitled Ascension, establishing Clifford as a leading composer and producer who greatly influenced our primal genre in the process.

Ascension l l – The Healing Touch on the MG Music label is his 2010 sequel revisiting the very essence of his younger creative spirit, now with newly enlightened perceptions as an acclaimed artist.

 Clifford White first composing the historic international best-seller Ascension back in 1985 now celebrates his 25th year commemoration by the powerful and inspiring Ascension ll – The Healing Touch.  The biography of Clifford White reaches another chapter in his life and music, telling much about the man and his insightful dedication to the New Age genre.

The true story of Clifford White is unique from so many artists since he began a recording studio while retaining producer credits on 26 albums, founding the music magazine Sound Waves and the New Age Music Association ( NAMA ) persevering even more where he and top artists began promoting our genre by concerts and individual recordings during the early years.

Ascension ll – The Healing Touch has a reverent infusion into 9 classic songs, ushered in by A Blessing, where mid tempo bell tones unite in a gilded keyboard melody rising to embrace a peaceful interlude in mind calming ambiance.  Orchestra stanzas enter a rich fullness in depth, giving a gentle swaying motion which readily personifies the aesthetic legacy of his insight into a genre promising peace and tranquility to all. 

Eternity denotes wonderful orchestration with flugelhorn articulating an offertory role in a gentle concerto.  Chimes and keyboard form an abstract atmosphere with chorals that lightly crescendo into a proclamation of relaxed contentment, while Luna adheres to a steady rhythmic keyboard pattern as upper octaves support a light shimmer to an already glistening theme.

Sanctuary gives retrospect imagery of the song Hallowed Ground from the first Ascension album, where songbirds begin verbal episodes of their creative entity, lightly recalling a past heritage.  The new melody in Sanctuary now signals in peaceful orchestra illuminations where bells signal in light contrast to a calming melody while songbirds again give a final repose about the common ground shared in melodies during the past 25 years.

In a counter beat melody, Reawakening joins with strings, soprano choir, and percussion woodblocks in a peaceful realm, while The Answer & The Power Within embrace ethereal sensations in synthesizer projections that evoke supreme auditory notes, residing in high melodic textures that reach for the stratosphere in harmonic purity.

The Healing Touch ( Title Song ) is a lightly ascending piano melody where an invocation with celestial harp gently strums a transcendent likeness, remaining well versed with the ethereal theme.

 Ascension  ll bestows another great testimonial to the aesthetic values of Clifford White and his time tested principal leadership towards a music genre that promises peace, relaxation, and calming tranquility with every defining moment.

Clifford currently presides over his multi faceted 21st Century New Media Ltd business, specializing in media consultation of Internet, film, software, television, and media related training courses, having also designed the Medwyn Goodall MG Music.com website.  In addition Clifford has created the New Age Music Network social forum and operates his New Age Music News website.

Visit cliffordwhite.co.uk to sample / purchase  Ascension ll and then be sure to read the full biography on Clifford White.  Here is his dedicated page at our website.

Picture Copyright BigStockPhoto – dndavis

Bryan El is the artist title with a minds eye resemblance when confronting electronic music and where his first album Out Of This World began to witness a calculating number of people to his quickly multiplying fan base. 

Those familiar with the classic symphonies of Bryan El would be compelled to look you straight in the eye then admit his music carries a modern day or futuristic atmosphere, and some might even say his visionary projects are somewhat revolutionary.

Northwest Europe is the geographical homeland where Bryan was educated and currently lives, arriving at his stair stepping music ambitions after having studied Graphical Arts at Belgium’s Holy Technical Institute, along with a professional career and creative interests in website design.

Spiritual Evolution marks the second Bryan El album, where some stereotypical guidelines in music are crossed, and synthesizer boundaries seen in many modern electronic influences begin a new interpretation.  To me, Bryan boldly speaks this universal language loud and clear, marked by his spirited crusade of premium brand electronics in a fascinating second symphonic proclamation.

Spiritual Evolution closely examines the challenging theories that make synthesized music a great formula and what can be interpreted from the use of electronic components and one steadfast individual.  Integrating Contemporary New Age, Electronic, Groove, and Chill Out touch, every precise beat becomes relative motion in this modern day configuration.

Ascension makes your first trek into the deep symphonic creations of 13 song origins known front and center by an escalating song of beauty.  During keyboards methodical exhibit of eerie ambience, glowing strides measured out by cellos back and forth inclinations, sway in time behind strong percussion rhythms in an effective blend of unifying ambience.

Dreamscape literally rises above like a hand waving crowd given the pronounced upper tempo showing the lofty abstract of this logistical dreamscape.  While rising to a high plateau on synthesizer, the keyboard staccato notes nicely contribute to equal groove timing, and deeper bass percussion entertains a pronounced beat while progressing into a conjoined helix of modernistic apparitions.

Lightly steady rhythms give Sunburst & Airwave a well blended symphony along with a modern common denominator akin to song Moonshine, with the exception of a more elevated tempo.  The mid range Arcana hazily drifts towards an ethereal plane, much like the heavier percussion and choral backed piano rendition heard in Soulbound.

Fantasia first appears to have a light linier florescence on the outer surface, yet there lays a deeply mysterious vector line etched parallel within this song.  This imaginary line soon unfolds in a moderate tempo harmony with timpani, bass, and snare percussion holding steadfast in their revolving rhythms.

When keyboards enter a beautifully drawn out melody, soprano vocals strongly unite with their tenor and deep bass equivalents to incorporate powerful sketches of light contrasting mystery.

Solaris XL is an iconic song most popular with fans of Bryan El and while this upbeat revision holds a vogue mindset with a completely new matrix, the spirited melodic glow that made this selection most popular, is once again expected to acquire renewed acceptance and favor of those loyal to Bryan.

Those familiar with the name Bryan El have surely acquired this newest world class symphony for their collection.  Newcomers will hopefully visualize their first opportunity to discover the candescent fascination behind Bryan’s unique brand of great symphonic music most are sure to see as revolutionary.

Visit bryanel.com website to sample / purchase or CD Baby.com page.  Be sure to visit Bryan’s profile page at amadearecords.com website and then check out the large selection of great musicians showcased at the AMAdea Records label.

Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto – sgame

Getting to know more about David Wahler should be of interest to many knowing his debut album Antiquus created quite a sensation and currently under consideration at ZMR album awards in 4 categories. Likewise, Antiquus ranked high in our own New Age Music Best of 2009 albums, giving you a clear indication about his first successful introduction into his new career.

David’s current release A Star Danced is just as impressive you will find, and my recent review of A Star Danced is now posted at NewAgeMusic.nu & NewAgeMusicWorld.Com.

Visit his new website at davidwahler.com to sample / purchase 

Lisa Downing is one name to search for, and Vision Quest Entertainment is another search term you can try.  With either result, Lisa Downing’s name will appear since this business was originally her own record label and now a combined talent agency doing business as Vision Quest Entertainment, representing over 1200 musicians in Colorado.

Now that we know Lisa Downing as a businesswoman, let me tell you about her busy career as composer, recording artists, and concert pianist.  Lisa performs in many concert venues including corporate and private events, along with conducting workshops and concerts with Liz Story and Joseph Akins, among many additional reputable artists.

Teaching piano along with her academic studies, Lisa attended the University of Colorado at Denver and Metropolitan State College to study music and piano performance.  Graduating with a degree in Traditional and Nontraditional Music with Keyboard Emphasis in 1982, her educational pursuits appear to be nicely balanced too.

A Delicate Balance is her 2010 Solo Piano, New Age, Neo Classical release, in an album title that is pretty well equal to her business and creative endeavors as a Solo Pianist.  What’s interesting about the inside cover of this CD is the special written diary about the thoughts behind each song’s composition which uniquely portrays Lisa’s intimate expressions during some rather personal moments in her life. 

I did enjoy reading her diary of songs while listening and preparing for this review of A Delicate Balance since it meticulously brought her personal recounting for each composition into the picture, giving her piano melodies a conclusively heartfelt and well spoken reflection.

Without giving away all of the diary secrets, many songs like The Gift, reflect a wonderful positive expression by the classical phrasing leading to the uplifting feel given by full register piano runs.  This song aligned in a moderate tempo made me think of the intrinsic treasures a gift giver feels and the unexpected joyful surprises a recipient receives.

The song Lost nicely portrays the first quiet moments in piano composition before well placed notes makes one realize that someone dear has lost their way, leading to deeper moments of pause and curiosity by her intonation.  After bolder dynamic chords suggest a winding road of lost hope, an upbeat conclusive ending happily points to a more familiar direction, ending with a more moderate calming tone of security.

Indecision is a faster moving piece where treble runs are shown like racing thoughts of indecisiveness, where lower register chords lean towards equal balance in an affirmative way, reflecting the decisive moments in life that are pretty much universal to everyone.

No Matter What I Do involves a special dedication and meaning to Lisa and does reflect this by quieter phrases giving way to pause, leading to a wider path, where positive chords suggest a new resolve in this scenario, ending in a more relaxed contemplation.   

Lisa’s prior albums Think On These Things is much like her current personal melodies with well timed moments of reflection, and her Holiday CD Christmas for Two are traditional holiday arrangements you will easily recognize and are easy to find CDs.

A Delicate Balance is a fine Solo Piano album with the personal Lisa Downing expressive touch.  Reading her song diary while listening to her latest musical gift about finding many delicate lines during the search for perfect balance is sure to please everyone, provided they take the time to search and then find this talented artist for themselves.

Visit this Vision Quest Entertainment artist at LisaDowning.com to sample / purchase or visit her CDBaby.com page here.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – og-vision

David Wahler is the musician orchestrating Antiquus in a like manner, where his time signature expertly directed a unique phrasing in tempo, dynamics, and articulation, leading to welcoming salutations of praise during the final reception at the end of his first orchestration.

Antiquus is a greatly applauded 2009 album surprising many by the paramount success granted to such a relative newcomer in the New Age music industry. The consistent airplay and high ranking in Zone Music Reporters charts is widely recognized, along with pending nominations for 2009 in 4 categories, yet to be decided. Likewise you will find Antiquus is held in high regard with our own NewAgeMusic.nu Best Albums of 2009 Awards, so these merits do speak quite clearly.

Music itself is not new to David since he began playing piano by ear at age 7, then formal music studies in college academics before directing several theater directing productions, performing with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra & New American Theatre, while also teaching music appreciation to disadvantaged and handicapped children.

David again steps onto the conductor’s podium for a second time. With all eyes watching, and with several decisive taps of the hand baton, he confidently cues in his current 2010 release A Star Dances, in an encore performance notably holding great expectations.

Composed, performed, and arranged solely by David Wahler, this album represents a heartfelt narration surrounding his family circle past and present, where resolution of personal life challenges are reflected as a unique source of inspiration for his music’s identity, lovingly embraced by his close family heritage.

A Star Danced is New Age, Contemporary, Electronic, Ambient, Neo Classical, and Orchestration, nicely displayed by his directing hands, where it becomes apparent this second release sharply manifests a sweeping one and two and timing, in relation to the precision delivery of his already admired discography.

The song Quest is the Epic alpha and omega heralding in 14 classics of A Star Danced, and perhaps a fine talking point of those like myself giving their own conclusions about his second release. To me, this sensational wonder is a revelation to behold, given the heavenly virtuoso trumpet intonation with pronounced percussion taps unveiling moderate rhythms while keyboard and tenor vocals gently mesmerize. Having these bold dynamics and a contrasting sheer ambience of lightly drawn out vibrato notes, it could be telling of a more calming and peaceful resolution made during some of our most challenging moments.

The atmosphere in the Title Song by soft soprano and tenor vocals echo nicely behind droplet-like keystrokes and percussion rhythms blending into one relaxing starlit entity. The Seeds of Time are generously sown by guitar soloist Brent Gunter, where his evolving impressions are backed by moderate keyboards and celestial choir.

Come Gentle Night has a light sway led by beautiful keyboard bell tones similar to Peaseblossom & Reverie. Sigh Away Sunday & Vespera are new images holding a conforming poise from the well conducted Antiquus album, giving fresh ambient patterns to the ensemble of songs.

Yvonne is a heartfelt rendition where harp and piano melody embrace to portray a most positive affirmation, and where keys changes bravely touch on an optimistic melodic tone.

It is in this song where piano, strings, and harp join in a tribute to a special person, and where the significance of someone very dear to David is personified.

Missing You is first composed in singular piano notes where a solemn melody gives a peaceful and serene placement of solitude in the earliest moments while nicely responding with a graceful tribute. Piano notes resolve in a most dignified phasing, giving rise by a reverent conclusion, where ordained notes of respect and solidarity become intertwined in the loving arms of melancholy.

Quest ( Reprise ) makes a return odyssey to the dynamic opening impressions, becoming the concluding exodus to again reveal the bold aesthetic testimonial of David’s second album. Devoted to his unique signature which retains your interest and imagination from the first cue to the final cutoff note, I do expect honorable recognition will be given to David Wahler & A Star Danced, pending this album’s overall final reception.

Visit davidwahler.com to sample and purchase or at his CDBaby.com page. You may read our own NewAgeMusic.nu Best Albums of 2009 Awards and my review of Antiquus on our pages dedicated to David Wahler.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – pressmaster

Timothy Crane is an artist title using a creative touch with the music technology of today by composing piano music, then adding key instrumentals along with orchestra effects that become full structured works of music he and his close friends enjoy creating. 

Dragonfly is the second release where Timothy plays a leading role as pianist and co-producer of his second album, along with Jason Rowsell who also played bass and mixing.  Friends Rick Henly performs on guitar and percussion effects, while Ryan Day engineered and mixed the album.  Having one last credit I don’t want to miss, Jason Rowsell’s young daughter has a cameo role by quietly laughing on cue during the beginning of song, A Child’s Goodnight. 

The Other Life I Dream is the first album I enjoyed equally from this talented group.  When asking Timothy what was the primary objective on this current release, and what set Dragonfly apart from the first album.  Here is his reply :

With Dragonfly, my focus was more on composition.  Each piece reflects an attempt to craft an instrumental tune that is memorable, unique to the overall album, and noticeably piano-driven, produced by independent musicians who want nothing more than to continue to create and play music.     Timothy Crane

Dragonfly is where I discovered more natural forms of instrumentation become closely acquainted with an animated entity in 11 song classics.  A few songs carry the rhythmic tones that might remind some of a highly recognized female artist at first glance, but I soon found each song is composed with a singular structuring in each melody belonging in a modern New Age, Piano, Instrumental, Cinematic theme.

Dragonfly indeed takes flight with first song  2×2.  In a graceful piano based dance of the keys, a real beauty of a melody greatly captures your attention by the upper tempo modern rhythms.  Well placed staccato notes from strings carry this steady motion while wonderful orchestration carries the appropriate rhythms that lead to a natural form of musical attraction.

Sylvan Grove holds much of the same beauty by piano leading in an upbeat theme while horns and strings inscribe a smooth blend into another most positive melody.  Higher octave piano notes in Star Cross Moon are the first gentle indications of a nice correlation in melodic shades, and when numerous major to minor key changes make a full emotional presence felt during refrains, the result is gratifying.

A Child’s Goodnight is a playful theme that soon matures in a full chord and heartfelt movement, while Salish Sunset in again, a more moderate tempo, along with light recollections in piano phrasing, join with oboe to impart warm tones to the overall picture.

Theft in Eb Major is more of a classic thought in composition with major and minor chords extending vibrant hues while building momentum.  Woodwinds warm breezy notes blend with background choral vocals to instill a more celestial feel with this song.

Theme of Rachel Scott is another focal point where medium range keystrokes give way to lower chords feel of depth and richness, blending nicely with orchestration to become one beautiful entity.  Vasilissa the Beautiful entertains a most peaceful beginning only to be suddenly interrupted by an enthralling performance from piano, choir, and deep thunderous percussion, quickly taking flight as if suddenly startled from a comfortable resting place.

Title song Dragonfly is an impassioned piano solo signaling the finale of this lightly animated album, in a conclusion where I felt every colorful detail was closely examined while producing this incorporated album, becoming the right choice for many people desiring popular music creations having a natural attraction.

Visit timothycrane.com website to sample / purchase, or at his CDBaby.com page.

Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto – FOTOCROMO

Knowing Michael better now, it’s clear to me his music is an instrumental model in itself, much like his art, books, and poetry, all of which have acquired U.S. recognition, along with international acceptance in Australia, Europe, Russia, and other parts of the world.

In his psychotherapy practice, Dr. DeMaria created ONTOS ( Greek for Being ) to help people live more meaningful and effective lives by ambient music interwoven as relaxation therapy.  I feel The Series can be perceived much like a form of cognitive conditioning, becoming an audible portion of his personal inner message by design, helping one acquire a new perspective and begin a refreshing journey on a path to wellness through calming music. 

The River  first began the Healing Sound Series, with  Ocean  his second project based on over  25  years of personal and professional research in the fundamental principals of sonic healing techniques.  Ocean was conceived to help hurricane survivors much like himself, begin anew and return to a more peaceful existence.

Where our rivers are a beginning source during their natural paths across the landscape, The River by Michael Brant DeMaria is like a template to discover a new direction, if even for a single day.  In addition, while help customarily arrives in the form of understanding words from this highly educated man during his medical practice, Michael’s healing music has a similar philosophy.  It is where gentle curves in The River now become the stimulus equivalent for discovering a natural direction in which to travel.        John P. Olsen

Siyotanka is the third story based narrative that won a Native American Music Award in the Native Heart category, and placed him on the Grammy ballot for Best Native American Music Album, also retaining the # 1 position on ZMR Top 100 charts in December 2009.

“The River is an album dedicated to all who listen from the heart” are words Michael used to analyze this first in series.  More than familiar with his music, I find this a realistic concept. 

Descriptive song titles likewise assist in what you will hear on The River, which relies on Native American Flutes, keyboards, piano, and indigenous percussion to form the reservoir, rising momentum, and infiltrating sunbeams heard in beginning ambient songs First Light, The River & Sunlight.  

Journeying is one of the more intriguing songs to me, having a rhythmic percussion and keyboard enhanced xylophone effect, when left to the imagination, places one in a forest habitat, residing right beside gently lapping water’s edge in a restful moment of singular, peaceful solitude.

The Rain features an indigenous flute solo while a thunderstorm’s echoing claps can be heard in the distance as if releasing every negative thought from afar, along with dispersing light water droplets that transform to create a colorful sunset at dusk, leading into piano and woodwinds calming sounds in a quiet Night Fall.

Moderate keyboard sequences, along with single touches on the piano keys treble octaves make positive reflections in Moonlight & Stillness lightly glow by their conforming ambient phrasing, while indigenous woodwinds direct a more solemn indication to denote the threshold hour of Midnight.

The River’s 10 song origins instinctively find a natural pathway to The Sea where most rivers lead.  In comparison to seas partially confined and bound by land, Michael’s directive of these rivers hope to point towards a new concept releasing everyone’s unlimited potential, in relation to the vast open horizons observed in our five greater oceans.

Visit ontos.org here and then sample / purchase on his music page, or CDBaby.com page.  Read our interview on our page dedicated to Michael.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com – WizData

Bill Wren is often referred to as the Rare Texas Songbird, in a declaration I thought appropriate having the surname Wren, yet it uniquely describes his musical aspirations and return flight to perfection.  First playing bass in a Rock band, Bill realized after one stellar show in front of a crowd gone wild audience, music was his final destination. 

One day in a Life is his release already gathering attention, having many songs winding up #1 or in the Top 10 at SoundClick.com & Broadjam.com, with songwriting awards in Indie & International Song Writing Contests. Reading everything I could on Bill Wren, I also learned that lifelong friends played a major role leading to an early formation of his musical biography that endures even to this day.

One day in a Life is like a beautiful bird of paradise and where Bill Wren excels the most, in heartfelt compositions that exhibit the very essence for each characteristic style given by every performing musician on the album he calls a friend. 

Wren states the album’s success is due in part to the arrangement and production work of Frank Ralls, along with musical assistance of Terry Winch & Ike Strum, with a host of vocalists and instrumentalists who together, have assembled a refined album with a right at home presence. 

One day in a Life answers the call to  11  songs in New Age, Orchestration, Neo Classical, along with structured blends of Jazz, Blues, and Rock, building a comfortable resting place to display his versatile compositions.  The calm acoustic guitar strides heard in the title song characterize the overall attraction given to the entire album, giving a hint of the harmonious novelty waiting within each well rounded song.

Daybreak shows the smooth artistry of this album sporting a fragrant touch and vibrant flare, where rich orchestration plays the intermingled leading role while supporting soloist and softer vocals.  Much like En Mai, lavish cello entries appear to drift and sway in time to gentle winds and deep sentimental overtones, with an emphasis on instrumental soloists as the chosen method to hallmark every occasion in this album of versatility.

Ocean Breeze features acoustic guitar giving the arrangement a moderate tempo and under closer examination, exhibits a form of poetry in motion while gently transitioning to a more complex guitar rendition, making the move during nice orchestral balance and light percussion effects.

I Will Waltz For You, with it’s descriptive title, glides right into motion filled pirouettes in time to dance rhythms, while Lovers Rendezvous has a moderate tempo with saxophone and piano adding an impassioned rendition, contributing to a pleasing sense of atmosphere. 

Setting the ambiance again is Heart to Heart, in singular key piano melody and Night Fall, where piano, saxophone, and soft vocals maintain the beautiful colors perceived in this albums theme.

The song Old Friend provides the forethought in this lighter flute melody backed by a full symphony of warmth and sincerity, and since everyone is great as an individual soloist on the album, it does help me summarize with certainty. 

The qualities I discovered in One Day in a Life, do facilitate a level of relaxation one person can easily enjoy alone, morning, noon or night, but with such an engaging album like this one, is always best experienced in the company of good friends.

The musicians and credits on this album are, Frank Ralls, Terry Winch, Ike Strum, Sandy Williams, Nick Curry, Janet Planet, John Gibson, Jim Farrelly, Kyle Wehner, Michael Houston, Kelly Willard, Tom Washatka, Patrick Harshbarger, and Chris Lieber.

Visit the Rare Texas Songbird at billwrenmusic.com to sample or CDBaby.com to purchase.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto.com – Ardith

Lizary Rodriguez Rios is the harpist I had in mind while writing this first sentence taken from an earlier review of her Harp Therapy album inviting listeners to relax by the soothing music this stringed instrument can provide.

Valentines Day is approaching and a great time to tell you about this music professional and bring up the celestial instrument, since the harps early origins are ironically thought to be modeled after an archery weapon. Given this fact, even the romantic Cupid would like to own this instrument since it strongly resembles a bow and arrow.

Lizary Rodriguez Rios credits are quite impressive, securing a Doctorate in Musical Arts and 4 time awards winner of international harp competitions around the world, touring with the Grammy Award Nominated Harp Fusion Ensemble.

The recipient of a Centennial Achievement Award is a respected one of many, in an overall long list of awards and recognition she has achieved, drawing attention around the world as a harp soloist and composer, so expect a right on target delivery.

The many concerts and festivals people have attended, like the prestigious Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, venues in the United States, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Spain, Russia, and other countries have certainly enjoyed the experience, so chances are good you will too.

Harp Voyage was her first album, and much like her Harp Therapy are specifically composed for relaxation, massage, and yoga, while also finding a comforting niche since the songs serve as the perfect auditory background music during church services, memorials, hospitals, and even weddings. Lizary has informed me she is presently working on a Christmas album, so another fine project of her specialized music is expected in the future.

While Lizary’s harp CD’s are not exact centerline in New Age music, her high level of expertise as a harpist is decidedly front and center by delivering a highly regarded level of comfort, from a natural talent who is devoting much of their life achieving the very highest in musical standards.

For your next special occasion or just great classic music to relax by visit lizary.net here. Sample at CDBaby.com here, and read our pages dedicated to Lizary.

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Ann Sweeten is one musician widely recognized for her classic style, setting a high standard in quality among many pianists in the wide range of genres employing piano music as the chosen manner for pleasing an audience.  In a skilled full range delivery on a Steinway Baby Grand, her classic signature sound deserves respect in a natural way, lending itself to beautiful music that many have found, gives new meaning to the term music appreciation.

Just This Side Of Spring  showcases her latest composing lead performance as a Steinway Artist and music professional, with several talented artists at her side.  Will Ackerman for one, performs on acoustic guitar on the title song, along with co-producing the album with Ann, who also conducts vocals and synthesizers.  Andrew Eng on viola & violin, along with bass performer Michael Miksis, and Trisha Craig on Flute are the accompanying musicians featured on several songs contained on this album, who do excel in terms of fluidity as a collective unit.

Having authored a number of Piano Solo reviews in the New Age genre, I promptly identified an admirable level of richness and depth in tone I rarely hear in many comparative piano solo albums.  Stylish tonal qualities held in even the quietest patterns give complex sequences and a prolific feel of realism within every individual phrase.  I likewise concluded the classic instrumentals supporting Ann Sweeten on Just This Side Of Spring clearly strengthen this opulent quality, validating my initial first impression.

In addition to her recognition as a Steinway Artist & Composer, her achievements are numerous, including voting privileges in the National Recording Academy of Arts & Sciences, ASCAP Popular Award Recipient starting in 2002, and continuing every year up to 2009. 

The ZMR nominations and awards are just as numerous and her talents are not limited to music achievements and concert performances on piano.  Ann is also a professional actress, singer, and ballet dancer, realizing many achievements in her diverse life. 

Just This Side Of Spring is a thoughtful Piano Instrumental album that holds many elegant touches while leaning towards the classical side of life, while shown in a natural realistic way too, becoming a great follow up for her previous Piano Instrumental album Grey Sky and Bittersweet. 

I concluded that both Just This Side Of Spring & Grey Sky and Bittersweet make you feel a pleasant sense of comfort and enjoyment in a much desired way, given by a qualified pianist who delivers an admirable performance on a Steinway Baby Grand, in another new release of her music almost everyone can appreciate.

Visit annsweeten.com and sample / purchase here.  Ann’s discography can be found at most music outlets, on-line and specialty stores.  You can visit CD Baby.com here.

Isaac Shepard from Southern California is like many of us who share the same philosophy when it comes to the unlimited resources for finding great music in other genres, becoming revitalized in the process, and similar to the way Isaac put it, just might make you appreciate your favorite form of music even more.  

Isaac began playing piano by ear at an early age and this early love of music began as a family circle of musical talent while performing with his father during many community venues in California, including benefits for homeless shelters, social gatherings and church events.  I am pretty sure this early introduction and appreciation of all music genres was a rewarding first step in the right direction as he began a well rounded approach into his individual projects as a piano soloist.

Exploring the musical space and taking in all that it has to offer is a universal calling and can be life-changing.  You might discover a genre that pushes your boundaries and leaves you wanting more, or you might come away being that much more thankful for what you call your own.          Isaac Shepard

 The Renewing is Isaac Shepard’s most recent stride into a nicely rehearsed form of expression as a solo pianist, where his individual composing performances offer relaxing ballads, classical progressions and beautiful melodies in each of the  10  songs composed with a pleasing source of renewal in mind.

Tears Can Fall  is a peaceful balled where an extending range of emotion has a presence in both the keyboards and what you will find in your first sample song in new music discovery.  Lead off phrasing is like a gentle question and answer session with treble notes asking the need to know questions and lower octaves blending in a responding reply that contrasts the upper octaves curiosity in important matters pertaining to harmonic togetherness.

Doors of Life has quieter moments in the earliest measures, moving into classic timed refrains before climbing to full heights in terms of the growing melody heard during this piece with steadiness like a soulful march.  While piano keys move to greater distances in this song, the melody flows and sways by nice runs along the keyboard while sweeping notes trickle right in time with a more moderate background.  

All Smiles like the name suggests is motion moving in an upward direction in an easy going natural movement shown by classic form, with strong stanzas recognizing a positive fullness in depth.  The rich fullness of a quiet melody blossoms while reaching full cord progressions with classic touches filling in the outlining shades of color, giving a more dignified tone to the overall feeling of happiness in this pretty song of joyful contentment.  

The Renewing tells of dancing rhythms resting beside moments of introspection, becoming a nice getaway from the pounding beats and winding guitars competing for your attention.  Whatever your favorite form of music is, here is an opportunity to explore Isaac’s latest solo piano release and become pleasantly refreshed in the process.   

Visit isaacshepard.com to sample his unpublished music, popular entertainment gaming soundtracks, and two prior solo piano albums,  Swept Away  &  Deep Joy.  You may also visit CDBaby.com to sample  The Renewing.

Article © John P. Olsen 2010 - Picture ©  Bigstockphoto – Wilmy

No reproduction without prior written permission

Mars has just released another nature inspired project that really puts you on location, in a sharp salute that is a natural acquisition with his large fan base, and for all who appreciate his artistic creations gently carved from our native habitat of woodlands and ecosystems.

The time enduring  Eleventh Hour Series, Olympic National Park, & Yosemite: Valley Of The Giants, are all earlier landmarks of his dedication to conservation music that, sure as our world turns, are steadily becoming more relevant with each passing day.

Tahoe Spirit  is his newest declaration into New Age / World / Nature genres to virtually guide you one heartbeat away from the Great North Western Sierra Nevada Wilderness, Lake Tahoe, and deep into Washoe Indian Territory, in a trail blazing musical expedition that nicely illustrates the territorial lands that are a vital part of our American Heritage.

David Rose is a distinguished talent from the band Painted Raven, and principal performer on Traditional Native Flutes, while divine song vocalist Cadence Spalding, likewise join Mars on piano, bass, keyboards, and programming.  It is during their unparalleled journey together where everyone can become a part of, and be a witness to the vast open wilderness, monumental mountain horizons, and the pristine waters that reverently hold the secrets of this regional gemstone.

Mars Lasar employs a careful artisans approach while composing all of his inspired by nature music, making a lasting impression on you every time.  The effective result of a delicate polish given to Tahoe Spirit results in a fine grain finish, directing you to an exceptional visit to the pristine beauty of our native woodlands all Americans can call home.

Tahoe Spirit  makes a bold first impact of  10  song legacies known with a deeply moving and beautifully synthesized Tahoe Legends.  Beginning with a grand opening, this Epic song makes one quickly realize the musical terrain is going to be firmly held on a plateau of picturesque beauty.  The woodwinds David Rose provides are encircled by percussion effects and heart pounding stanzas that Mars expertly recreates during your guided visits to memorable discoveries in music.

The Great Spirit  has more of a calming presence by woodwind interludes and echoing drum rhythms that noticeably accent an inherent note by note recollection about a past civilization of people who are an important part of our heritage and who once called it home.

Washoe Meadows  has the attribute as a gentle song with a relaxing melody, articulating a pleasing sense of atmosphere, perfect for those seeking an adventurous ambiance where gentle streams and natural forestry are a realistic part of the visual beauty you will hear in this total music experience.

Lake In the Sky  gives a peaceful moment of reflection by woodwinds gentle tones and dreamy melody shown in a breathtaking way, providing a soft tranquil flow between stanzas while bass and drums add a range of depth by the subtle undercurrents.

Alpine Meadows  makes a heartfelt impression on me every time I listen to it, in an uplifting song where the bond of this trio shines so very brightly while standing together in musical unity.  Mars places an Epic, yet comforting climate controlled feel on keyboards that instantly takes you there.  David instills the calming winds with haunting flute passages recognizing the presence of the people living before us there, and Cadence gently vocalizes a soft radiant melody, glowing like the sun by her wonderful declaration to remind everyone why we become united there.

Tahoe Spirit  greatly captures your attention by a bold testimonial about our native lands worth preserving, and is a wonderful presentation from talented artists united in heart, mind, and spirit, who give you the feeling that you also belong and can go there too.

Visit marslasar.com to sample here then see his photography pages.  You can also read my recent interviews with Mars Lasar and NewAgeMusic.nu’s Top Album of the Year winner Cadence Spalding, on our pages dedicated to this outstanding musical team.  You can find out more about flutist David Rose at painted-raven.com here.

Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto – mantonino

Valencia Spain is where Salva takes the stage to portray his principal role as Psicodreamics master of ceremonies, and into the hypnotic realm of the dark unknown.  He exploits this select style of fantasy music cloaked in an intriguing shroud of mystery every time, as if he were a music magician pulling another album out of a black hat.

AzhDark Passion is a project based on a novel by Tanith Lee titled Night’s Master, and although composed years ago, the project is relevant today as it was yesteryear. 

In a surreal form of Ambient, New Age, Neo Classical, and Chill Out, with symphonic interludes, the  12  songs offer one a chance to make their own conclusions about his openly mysterious music, performed to the beat of her chilling adventurous novel.

Psicodreamics beautiful array of mysterious albums make a great contradiction in sound and effect, becoming like a roller coaster ride of sensations, where you are taken close to the thrilling edge, but without the danger of losing your grip and falling into complete darkness.

Title song  AzhDark Passion  is a perfect example since the first few measures in music immediately place you in a past century, watching a cloaked figure on a black horse drawn carriage that steadily travels past you on a cobblestone street, before disappearing into the night.

The Sweetest Gift  is gentle like a soft lullaby making you feel safe and sound, but a hint of mystery lurking in the shadows is waiting behind each note.  Song of the Living Night conjures up much of the commingled fight verses flight feelings also, since woodwinds lull you into a relaxed state of mind by the bright melody, while symphonic undercurrents make you suddenly realize that creatures of the night may actually live under your bed.

The Forge  places an emphasis on choral vocals harmonizing in unison, while percussion timpani drums add precise measurements of rhythm as if an alchemist were adding ingredients to a copper caldron.

Morning Light  features Priscilla Hernandez in contrasting female vocals to become the silver lining in this song, blending with generous percussion and sound effects full of mystery, in a rhythmic pace that balances together quite well, considering colorful vocals are encased by darker images from the distant past.

Electronic in New Age music plays many roles, and the select role of mystery and imagination Salva Moreno performs as a musician, is composed using an effective sleight of hand that magically transports you into a world of fantasy.

The  Ambiethernum  album is a compilation of Psicodreamics best Ambient and Space music from his many projects to date, and is a great way to discover more about the magic behind Salva Moreno.  You can also read my album reviews and our recent  interview together by visiting our pages dedicated to Psicodreamics here.  Visit  psicodreamics.com website or click here to sample.  You may also sample at CD Baby.

Picture copyright Bigstockphoto – DanTe

Ciro Hurtado is one skilled solo guitarist or guitarrista from California, whose performances include Traditional Latin, American Folk, World, Fusion, Latin Jazz, and many more popular genres, becoming adapted to many forms of personal expression.

His natural talent, along with studies at the Guitar Institute of Technology have placed him in a well recognized stature as a musician, highly regarded for his artistic technical abilities and versatile rhythms for many years now.

Ciro’s musical compositions on guitar are not limited to specific categories since his adaptable styles also range from more traditional Jazz, Flamenco, Classical, Pop, Blues, and Rock, so versatility does play an important role in his music.

Guitarrista  is the  5th  album to explore his talents as a guitarist, where many rhythms and sub rhythms on this project are abundant, in a solo album that finds many points of interest during this thoughtful encounter with individualistic expression.  Latin influences play an important factor during his many changes in style too, as both hands connect with the strings in a well versed manner.

Performing without percussion, brass, or winds, his solo touch of the strings give multiple layers of well versed melodies and nicely done sub rhythms, giving me the impression that any added musical accompaniment would be unwanted sound that just gets in the way of his unique approach to this solo guitar album.         

John P. Olsen

The intricate patterns, along with a relaxed atmosphere, greatly emphasize his individual composing and performance skills, while also telling a beautiful story to his audiences.

Some of the pieces in this album were written a few years back and others were composed specifically for this project.  Each piece has a story, a place in my life, a part of who I have become on this long  journey.         

Ciro Hurtado

Besides his solo projects, and performing with Strunz and Farah, he founded the popular group  Huayucaltia,  touring in the U.S. and other countries while opening for Sting, Jackson Browne, Carlos Vives, and other highly regarded artist. His numerous movie and documentary musical score credits are recognised in the film industry as well, since producers have also taken note of his versatility as a guitarist.

Ciro Hurtado’s prior albums  In My Mind  &  Tales From Home  both have accompaniments that blend just right with acoustic guitar, and expert performances are shown in all of his albums. 

This comes from a person who recognizes that the guitar is really just a pretty instrument, and that a beautiful outcome is always dependent on whose hands the guitar is placed.

Visit cirohurtado.com to sample here, and cdbaby.com to purchase here.

Picture Copyright Bigstockphoto.com – devulderj