Ambient

This style of music is a background for a walk on the moon, a non-toe tapping blend of synthesizer and thick sound effects, an eclectic journey through sound landscapes, etc. Some artists choose to base theses soundscapes on top of addictive pulsing beats (like the artists on Frosty, a collection of ambient, groove artists). Other artists elect to simply let the sound stand on it's own two legs (like John Serrie and his Planetary Chronicles series).

Of recent years in America there has been a boom of Irish & Celtic music. We can not seem to get enough of it! From the haunting vocal and contemporary synthesizer sounds of Enya and Loreena McKennitt to the more traditional Irish Folk groups; Celtic music continues to surprise us with tradition and grace. The Celtic Harp is a sound instantly recognized and powerfully relaxing. Kim Robertson has been dazzling us with her melodic harp for quite a while and will continue please us for years to come.

Originating from countries around the world, Folk music has often been a means to convey subject matters ranging from love and hardship to patriotism and peace. These vocalizations are almost exclusively accompanied through the use of traditional acoustical instruments reinforcing the pure, raw message of the song unhindered by the sterilization of modern day musical recording.

Also known as music for the healing arts, Meditation music is a unique form of music with roots dating back to the advent of nature herself. Just as everyone meditates in his or her own way, Meditation music individualizes itself according to the practitioner. Similar to ambient music in a subtle textural aspect, music for meditation is specifically designed for relaxation and peace. Compositions are accompanied with a variety of instrumentation and nature sounds depending on the aesthetics of the artist. Rob Whiteside-Woo, for example, uses natural instruments (such as woodwind & strings) as a foundation and keyboards as an embellishment to weave melodic landscapes of sound. However, all mediation music holds true to its purpose to elicit inner peace and tranquility.

Simple percussion, powerful soul searching cedar flutes, and expressive chants are all components that make Native American music as beautiful as its culture. Many Native Americans continue to record authentic music of their past both with traditional instruments and styles. Carlos Nakai has put out a number of such recordings. Canyon Trilogy by Nakai is a delightful example of solo cedar (koto) flute expressed in the native styles.

Traditional world music is thankfully gaining popularity! It is important to recognize the cultural heritage of our nations' unique music, otherwise it may be lost forever. Unlike any other genre of music, world music is mostly music for a specific purpose, be it a ritualistic birth chant from Australia or a coming of age ceremony in South Africa. In the past few decades cultural anthropologists and audio engineers have been on location at some of the remote areas of the globe documenting native peoples performing songs of their heritages. More importantly, they are recording these musical styles because there is a demand for it. Not all world music is ancient though, new artists all over the world are keeping up the traditions of their ancestors by representing their regions with new and innovative techniques to play and sing their ethnic tunes. Examples of such artists are Koto from Japan, Babatunda Olatunji from South Africa, and Mustapheh Eddy from Ghana.

World Beat is gaining popularity faster than traditional world music because of its crossover potential. Blending world music with Jazz, Classical, New Age, Instrumental and any other categorized musical style creates a hybrid sound that is a much more approachable world style to a broader audience. Artists include Brazilian Jazz from Laurindo Almeda, Kitaro with his massive percussion ensembles, Baka Beyond, and Enigma each adding electronic energy and beats to traditional world styles.