Sometimes it is hard to understand what neoclassical music is. It is a somewhat nebulous label for a genre that has become enormously popular. New age music is really very easy to understand if you just step back and take a look at the overall picture.

This Web page has a wonderful explanation of New Age music including the “sub-genres” found within it. It will be very helpful in understanding the music you love.

New Age Music Made Simple

I have recently become acquainted with this whole podcast thing. It wasn’t something I gravitated to quickly - I thought it would be kind of… well, schlocky. But it isn’t. In fact, this is really neat. I probably will turn into a podcast junkie. At any rate, I have found a wonderful podcast for lovers of neoclassical music and poetry.

Supernatural FM, a podcast by BCPoetry.com, out of Vancouver, British Columbia, has some very good podcasts. They currently have four that combine neoclassical music with spoken poetry. It is an enjoyable mix; listening to one of these podcasts before going to sleep should promote some restful sleep and peaceful dreams.

Supernatural FM - This is a direct link to the podcast feed

BCPoetry Web Site

Genome is becoming one of the buzz words of the early 21st century. It all comes from The Human Genome, which of course is a scientific project of somewhat greater proportion than creating a mix of music suited to an individual listener. However, the premise is, with a bit of a stretched imagination, interesting. The Music Genome is a Web site designed to bring you individualized music - matched to your musical DNA in a way.

I gave this a test. I started with William Ackerman, being that he is an extremely well-known name in the neoclassical music world, and it did work. It took my first choice and continued to select music appropriate to my liking. The player is simple to operate, provided me with additional information as I listened, yet remained unobtrusively in the background when I was working.

Pandora is free - they guarantee it free for a lifetime, the ability to create up to 100 “stations” of your choosing, and accessible from any computer. It is a great way to not only listen to your favorites, but to discover new favorites, as their music analysis brings you likely choices.

Not really DNA, but not such a bad idea. I think you will enjoy this site and Pandora.

Pandora - Created by The Music Genome Project

I have a particular weakness for strings. If it is played on the violin, viola or cello, I love it. I vacilate between which I like best but I truly love good cello playing. Because of that, David Darling is definitely near the top of my list of favorite musicians.

Darling is another musician who has rejected the label of new age. He views his music as not having, “the busyness of progressive jazz, that has a meditative quality.” In the early 1990’s, Darling released the CD, “Cello,” which combined acoustic and electric cello with the hauntingly beautiful tones of Gregorian Chant.

A reviewer of his work says it best. You can read more about David Darling at this site as well, which is linked below.

His music is emerald fire on a midnight sea, an arctic exhalation amidst stifling summer heat, a northwest wind driving out a confusion of fog. It is archaic, intense and yet almost always calming. And thus far it has not ceased to carry me wherever it travels, however mysterious such places might be.
Kris Larson

David Darling Official Web Site

David Darling at Musicolog.com