Re: Music Descriptions

["Stephen P. Goodman" <sgoodman@primenet.com>]

Having bristled at the idea of "new age" being applied to Eno's music - or
mine, for that matter - I had to learn to understand the motivations of the
marketers behind the term.  "Electronic" doesn't apply to all of it, nor
does "Space", "Experimental", "Trance", "Rave", "Psychedelic", or any of
the other terms we've all see rotate through our favorite section of the
record store over the past 25 years or so.

I prefer "Ambient" myself, though most folks still don't know what
'ambient' means, which usually thrusts me right into the mode of having to
explain the term to someone.  In such a situation I end up using words and
phrases like "atmospheric", "soundtrack music", "space music"; and, failing
that, return to explain what Eno put forth as some of the essential
definitions of the genre (paraphrased as a result of memory):

"...It must be as ignorable as it is listenable..."

"...It seeks to enhance its environment, as opposed to Musak, which
blankets it..."

And, in my own words:

Ambient Music is at times best defined by what it is NOT.  It is not like
an ignored child, prodding you to pay attention to their newest 'trick',
jumping up and down and yelling "listen to THIS!".  It is therefore not
something that distracts you from your current tasks-at-hand, whether
pleasurable or otherwise.

The best definition, requiring the least explanation, is still the
listening itself.  For me, it's enough that people say, "Oh!", and suddenly
understand.  And, hopefully that entertains them too.

* Stephen Goodman            It's the Loop Of The Week!  And it's free!
* EarthLight Productions      http://www.primenet.com/~sgoodman/Studios