Sound Aspects

Up until a few minutes ago, I had seen only the last few moments of Riverdance. Riveting, breathtaking, hypnotically trance-inducing . . . and that was just during the credits!

One of the downsides of rarely perusing TV program guides is that one may miss a show that one wants to see. Tonight, playing TV-I Ching (in which I respond to an intuitive flash to turn on my new 32 inch Trinitron, I channel-surfed and lucked out: It looked like an entire village of tightly choreographed, high steppin' traditional (and not-so-traditional) Irish dancers. I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen . . . and that was before the dueling blonde violinists graced the stage with their fleet-fingered performance and tight black leather outfits.

Toe-tapping wonders, in fact, from many cultures, showed that this form of heel-toe percussion is fairly universal. The music was extraordinary, and really got your pulse going.

I don't have time before deadline, but I've got to get the album so I can listen to the music with my eyes closed -- to eliminate the visual distractions -- and more fully appreciate the enormous triumph of the score.

If you haven't seen -- or heard -- this stunning performance, check out your local PBS affiliate and get ready to be flown away. In fact, I would daresay that Riverdance represents the longest continuous hypnotic, sound-induced entrainment and entrancement of a primetime TV audience in ages. We'll have to make up a separate awards category just for them. (To go with the other innovative awards this column acknowledges throughout the year?)

It never ceases to amaze me that some folks are still trying to classify this music under the New Age umbrella. I can certainly see why the proponents of this traditional ethnic expression would be irate: this is their folk music -- and just because it sounded foreign and exotic to our American ears was no reason to try to co-opt it, other than an aesthetic myopia or cultural imperialism. It's fine as it is!

Speaking of PBS-TV, seems like every other time I surf by they're either playing Riverdance or John Tesh's latest offering. I don't know about you, but for me, the difference between them was like night and day. More about that later, however. Whatever you think -- or feel -- about his music, you gotta love the fact that he gave up his cush anchor job on Entertainment Tonight to follow his bliss. (I do find it an interesting cosmic coincidence that he'll kick off his sixty city tour in my old college stomping ground, Buffalo, and on my birthday, no less!)

I'm amazed that both he and I are included on a best-selling album entitled Best of New Age -- because, by his own admission, he doesn't play New Age music; it's instrumental pop through and through. I'm also amazed at how so many of the band members are able to toss their hair in synchronized movement, and how the violinists always know how to be smiling when the camera cuts to a close up. (I've played with a goodly number of violinists over the years, and most of them hardly ever smile!)

Musicians Playing Mechanically or Machines Playing Humanly

Once in a generation, a new technology surfaces which forever changes how we can expand our ability to create music -- especially if we don't play an instrument. This breakthrough is the result of decades of research by Dr. Manfred Clynes into the nature of human emotions and its expression. SuperConductorTM music interpretation software embodies fundamental principles of music performance and interpretation. These aspects of phrasing, rhythm and "feel" that give live performances their unique expression have been made available globally to anyone who can operate a computer. Experienced musicians, students of music and music lovers can now all participate in the highest expression of the performer's art, creating and realizing powerful and expressive interpretations, regardless of their playing ability.

SuperConductor is a radically new software synthesizer and performance engine. You can individualize solos to symphonies to suit your individual preference. It uses the finest sampled sound resources to create CD quality stereo output that can be played from your SoundBlasterTM compatible sound card or from .wav files saved to your hard disk. A demo CD is also now available. For more information, check out www.microsound.com, or fax 707-939-1578 or write MicroSound, 19181 Mesquite Ct., Sonoma, CA 95476.

This company also recently announced the release of SuperPerformerTM music synthesis software, which is a multi-media plus-in for web browsers that creates lifelike, high fidelity performances of expressive music from small data packets transmitted over the Internet.

If you read my books or recall some of my earlier columns, you may remember Dr. Clynes' revolutionary discoveries that are chronicled in his book, Sentics: The Science of Emotion.

In light of the success of Shine, this perspective, along with the insights of Dr. John Diamond, is more relevant than ever.

Until next time.

Copyright 1996, Steven Halpern

Steven Halpern has earned a reputation as one of the most influential New Age recording artists. With over three million units sold, he celebrates his 20th anniversary by revisiting his World/Jazz roots with Afro-Desia, also featuring Suru, medicine man and healer, and a special guest appearance of Jai Uttal. For free in-store play, contact your sales rep or: Steven Halpern's Inner Peace Music®, phone: 1-800-909-0707 / fax 415-485-1312 / e-mail: innerpeacemusic@innerpeacemusic.com. Visit his World Wide Web site at www.stevenhalpern.com.

For previous columns, see The Monthly Aspectarian at our website.

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