Music Independence
What Happened to New Age Piano?
By Edward Weiss
It all began in the early 1980's with a recording titled "December." The artist was George Winston and for some strange reason, people really liked it. The music was different. It seemed to go nowhere and float on the air. No matter. People liked it.
Then something peculiar happened. Marketing executives at various record labels didn't know what to call it. After all, this music needed some kind of label or classification to sell it to the public but what? Then some idiot came up with the name "New Age" and the genre has suffered ever since. Even George Winston hates the term and calls his piano music "rural folk."
But, and here's the really weird thing, lots of people really like this music! Unfortunately, many were turned off by the New Age thing. It's true. They liked the music but just didn't want anything to do with anything with New Age (whatever that is). I've even had someone email me saying they liked my sample lessons but didn't want to sign up for fear of being labeled New Age.
Look, New Age piano is just a style of music. It has nothing to do with philosophy. It has nothing to do with religion. It's just a style of music like zydeco or polka music. You either like it or you don't.
It's a shame to let such a beautiful and worthy thing as New Age piano fall to the wayside because of labels.
Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Stop by now at http://www.quiescencemusic.com/piano_lessons.html for a FREE piano lesson!
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