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Hi, anyone here is a fan of new age piano music?

I would like to ask for your opinion: Is new age piano music powerful enough? I mean, for example, does it have enough emotion to move your heart?

Like many other students, I'm also a classical trained piano player. Many pieces, especially Chopin's, have touched my heart and make me want to listen to them almost everyday. I feel that the complexity of the pieces makes classical music even more amazing and beautiful.

However, as I started to listen to new age music, especially Yiruma's, I found that although it's not as complex as classical, it gives me so much emotion. I realized that what makes it so beautiful was the melody. Even simple melody arrangement can also touch my heart. This inspires me to become a piano composer.

In the beginning, I still tried to add a little complexity to my composition. After a while, I started to focus more on the melody and make it more simple. To my surprise, the simple composition somehow makes me teary while listening to.

So, go back to the question, is new age piano music powerful enough? Let me know what you think. Every opinion is welcomed. Thanks a lot

If you want to listen to my composition, here is the link:

More complex: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_MAy4Ifls4
More simple: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iIus53DV3UI

Thanks for posting the links to your music, Vindhie Lin. I am currently listening to all 12 of the pieces you put up as your album "Our Home". Id new age music powerful enough? I say yes!

There are people who say they can play the blues. Instead of really getting into and understanding that genre, they learn a few blues scales, the 12 bar form, and just bang away at it. That isn't the blues.

The same seems to be true of new age music. Those who understand the genre, really get into it, make music. Those who think of it as not worth really understanding, will pick up a few licks and just noodle with it.

So, to me, there is the difference between what can be "powerful enough" and what is not. Both blues and new age music are very emotional, rather than intellectual. Your music is "powerful enough", very melodic and definitely not noodling.

Tony

Hi Tony, I totally agree with your saying that blues and new age are very emotional rather than intellectual. Indeed, I feel that the emotion is the one which makes them powerful.

Many many thanks for your comment and for listening to my musics. It motivates me to continue to do my best !!

Vindhie

I believe that whatever style/genre/music moves you is powerful. I first started listening to New Age Music back in the early 80's with the Windham Hill Label. The original music and arrangements by the artists on this label did what all other genres of music have done for me: taken me to a special place, opened my ears, solicited emotion from me. As for simplicity or complexity, I don't believe that one or the other determines what is "powerful enough" musically. It is all subjective - we love what we love.

I look forward to listening to your compositions later today when I have the time. Thank you for your post.

Back in the very late 70s or early 80s, there was a local station that played new age music. The two labels most featured at the time were Narada and Windham Hill. I really enjoyed that music and collected most of those early CDs, especially those featuring solo piano or solo guitar.

That station, unfortunately, switched to standard fare pop music, but then along came Music From the Hearts of Space on Sunday mornings. I learned about a number of artists through that show and added many to my CD collection. Again, unfortunately, that program ceased being carried on our local stations after a year or so.

I find out about new age artists on the internet, and am able (usually) to either purchase their music directly from their own sites or from cdbaby.com. My favorite solo piano artist has been Michele McLaughlin for some time now. I have watched some of her concerts live online and have all of her albums on CD, along with her PDF sheet music book for each album.

There are several other artists I enjoy too, and do seem to find new (to me) artists from time to time.

I had been looking for piano lessons that were a more direct route to learning to compose and play in this style as I learn to play piano. I have found two:

https://www.soundofemotions.com/

www.quiescencemusic.com/

Of the two, my preference is for soundofemotions.com. I can't say one is necessarily better than another, but instead it is a matter of matching teaching style to student for best fit.

Tony

Wow, I have checked Windham Hill and Michele Mclaughlin, both are truly amazing !! They are automatically added to my favourite music list

Thanks for all the sharing and opinions ^^

Vindhie

For those who are also Yiruma fans and want to know more about him, I found this interview conducted by Stefania Meneghella.

http://www.kosmomagazine.it/yiruma-the-place-where-the-love-was-born-posto-nasce-lamore/