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Nobember, 2004
 
New Voices, New World
Scott Johnson
$14.99
Googol Press
This lovely collection of ten folk-rock songs is, according to composer
Scott Johnson, “music about what we are for, not what we are
against.” There are songs about learning to love yourself,
recognizing your potential, having faith in the future, and rebirth
that starts from within. The music is a nice mixture of slow, searching
songs and upbeat tunes. The lyrics range from a little mystical, “There
comes a moment when time disappears, then you know there’s
nowhere but here, it’s something you’ve always known…” from
Now Is My Time; to a little whimsical, “Shut up and dance and
shake things loose, let’s move on past what’s between
me and you….” from Shut Up and Dance.
What I really like about this CD are the performances of the five
very talented singers. Each song is a solo number, and the five voices
range from bluesy to sultry, to folkie, and funky. The instruments:
guitar, bass, percussion, keyboards, accordion, trumpet, and fiddle
are almost all acoustic, and that very spare sound works well with
the solo performances. The songs are presented in a way that’s
simple and clean, so the voices and the message really shine through.
 Celestial
Sounds of Harmony and Light
Tupelo Kenyon
$10
Life Unlimited Publishing
Available by calling 1-888-687-4299
The information that comes with this CD says listening to it reduces
stress. That might be said of a lot of music, but Tupelo Kenyon claims
that his approach is scientific. The music is varied, with clearly
defined movements, which helps the mind focus. The instruments: guitar,
flute, harp, piano, cello, dulcimer, synthesized woodwinds, and strings
were blended to be calming voices. And, most important of all, the
music is all played at a rhythm of sixty beats a minute—a rhythm
that encourages your heart to beat at the same pace.
I put the CD on and sat down, and did, indeed, slowly feel a physiological
change in my body. Music often calms the mind, but this was more
of a physical calming—more like the physically centered feeling
you get from meditation.
This is pleasant, simple, quiet music, written on themes of earth and
heaven. When you listen carefully you will hear fleeting echoes of
tunes you know weaving in and out. Perhaps there is comfort in that
familiarity.
 Yoga
Harmony
Terry Oldfield
$16.98
New Earth Records
Composer Terry Oldfield writes on his CD, “In this music I
have tried to create an atmosphere of rich emotion and depth that
will facilitate the listeners to go deeper into their practices.” He
has succeeded admirably with a beautiful disc of elegant, ethereal
music that encourages quiet reflection and gentle, graceful action.
The instruments: wooden flutes and pipes, Tibetan bowls, bells,
chimes, sitar, keyboards, and several traditional Asian instruments,
create a simple, soft sound that is uncluttered and easy to focus
on.
One of the things I don’t like about some meditative New Age
music is that it has no structure. But that is not the case here.
Although the music consists mostly of simple solo instrumental lines,
the structure is quite complex and leads the listener on a kind of
sinuous dance through all eight compositions on this CD. Rather than
build up layers of sound, Oldfield teases out threads of melody that
wind through each piece. This disc is a little gem.
—Beth Adelman
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