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Steven Halpern

Steven Halpern is considered a pioneering father of New Age music. He began creating relaxing, minimalist instrumental music in the 1970s that did not adhere to traditional tonality. His 1975 album Spectrum Suite is considered one of the first true New Age albums. Halpern has since recorded over 50 albums and sold over 2 million copies. In addition to music, he has authored books on music and health and created self-help recordings incorporating subliminal messages. He continues to incorporate nature sounds like whales into his music for relaxation and healing purposes.

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Nill Salunke
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397 views5 pages

Steven Halpern

Steven Halpern is considered a pioneering father of New Age music. He began creating relaxing, minimalist instrumental music in the 1970s that did not adhere to traditional tonality. His 1975 album Spectrum Suite is considered one of the first true New Age albums. Halpern has since recorded over 50 albums and sold over 2 million copies. In addition to music, he has authored books on music and health and created self-help recordings incorporating subliminal messages. He continues to incorporate nature sounds like whales into his music for relaxation and healing purposes.

Uploaded by

Nill Salunke
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Steven Halpern

ing techniques pioneered the market.[5] The inspiration


for the album came partially from an experience Halpern
had in the California Redwoods, as well as trance or altered states he felt were inspired by his moments there.[6]

2 Commercial success
In the following ten years Halpern sold more than one
million albums, which he released through his independent label Halpern Sounds. In 1985 he signed with Gramavision, and began releasing music through more mainstream labels.[7] Gramavision also licensed Halperns
prior albums for sale in more traditional retail sectors,
as well as alternative ones.[8] Halpern has recorded more
than 50 albums. The most commercially successful of
these was 2000s Deja-Blues, which reached #18 on the
U.S. Billboard Top New Age Albums chart.[9] He is
also the author of two books, Tuning the Human Instrument and Sound Health. Halpern has provided readings
Steven Halpern in 2012
from his books and lectures in accompaniment to his
performances.[10] Halpern was also an inaugural member
Steven Halpern is a New Age musician. He is a of the Independent Music Awards judging panel to supGrammy-award nominee and considered to be one of the port independent artists.[11]
founding fathers of New Age music.
Halperns musical albums have been known to sell at a
consistent rate for up to 25 years after their release,[12] and
by 1996 he had sold more than two million albums.[13] In
1 Early career
addition to being a recording artist, he is known as one
of the founders of the new age music philosophy, which
[14]
Part of
Halpern played trumpet and guitar in the New York City created the musical trends within the genre.
his
philosophy
was
to
replace
more
static
noise
providers
jazz scene of the 1960s, but became disenchanted with it
and moved to California. There he began exploring the like television or radio with sounds that resonated better
[15]
A recent development in his music
idea of creating music entirely for the purpose of relax- with the chakras.
[1] includes the inclusion of dolphin and whale songs into his
ation, which he called anti-frantic alternative music.
He began creating music which did not adhere to tradi- music, in an eort to insert 7.8 Hz frequencies into his
[16]
tional Western tonality, but which instead consisted of music.
static, minimalist pieces for electric piano inspired by
Eastern music. He is a proponent of theories which emphasize the healing properties of music. He has been 3 Self-help recordings
named by MTV as the original new age artist,[2] beginning his new age performance career in 1969.[3]
Halpern was involved in the recording of self-help audio
His rst album was Spectrum Suite, released in 1975 and
which is considered to be one of the rst true new age
music albums. He began an alternative marketing campaign in order to raise awareness about his music as the
genre was not yet widely known. He focused at venues
like health food stores, yoga conferences, and alternative retailers.[4] In Billboard Magazine, John Diliberto
stated that this album and Halperns independent market-

cassettes since the 1970s. His techniques included the


use of self-hypnosis and subliminal persuasion, in order
to try and release the listeners mind more directly from
the stress aecting it. Often one side of his recording was
meant to be played at night before bed, with the opposite
side meant to be played in the background while a person
performed their normal daily activities. Voices inaudible
to the regular ear are imbedded in the tape, attempting to
1

5 DISCOGRAPHY

provide suggestive content to the mind.[17] Halpern has


also designed recordings that are meant to be played for
up to 8 hours continuously, to be used by individuals experiencing medical distress such as those enduring childbirth or surgery.[18]
Halperns music was specically utilized in the selfhelp recordings of John Bradshaw, a public gure in
alternative addictions treatment through the 1970s and
1980s.[19] Part of his philosophy is that ambient noise
coming from ones surrounding is psychologically and
physically damaging. His book Sound Health: The Music and Sounds that Make us Whole he commented that a
combination of the decibels in the noises around us can
combine to harm the body even in the home, and that
noise from our neighbours can harm individuals even if
their own homes are not producing too much noise.[20]
His books have led to Halpern being called one of the
fathers of musicology.[21]

Awards

In 1989 Halpern was awarded the Crystal Award at the


rst International New Age Music Conference.[13] In
2013 Halpern was nominated for the Grammy Award for
Best New Age Album for his album Deep Alpha.[22]

Discography

Eortless Relaxation (1991)


Enhancing Self-Esteem (1991)
Health and Well-Being (1991)
Higher Ground (1991)
Nurturing Your Inner Child (1991)
Radiant Health and Well-Being (1991)
Ancient Echoes (1993)
Creating Love (1993)
Eastern Peace (1993)
Enhancing Sensual Pleasure (1993)
Art of Sexual Ecstasy (1994)
Jonahs Journey (1994)
Letting Go of Stress (1994)
Natural Light (1994)
Overcoming Substance Abuse (1994)
Radiance (1994)
Recollections (1994)
Recovering from Co-Dependency (1994)
Safe Driving (1994)

Spectrum Suite (1975)

Starting the Day (1994)

I A Cosmic Attunement (1977)

Enhancing Intimacy (1994)

Peruvian Whistling Vessels (1978)

Enhancing Massage (1994)

Ancient Echoes (1978) (with Georgia Kelly)

Enhancing Success (1994)

Starborn Suite (1979)

Inner Peace (1994)

Zodiac Suite (1979)

Lullabies for Your Inner Child (1994)

Hear to Eternity (1979)

Lullaby Suite (1994)

Rings of Saturn (1979)

Self-Healing (1994)

Comfort Zone (1980)

Sleep Soundly (1994)

Corridors of Time (1982)

Gifts of the Angels (1994)

Dawn (1983)

Trance-Zendance: Ambient Entracement (1995)

Recollections (with Daniel Kobialka) (1983)

Accelerating Learning (1996)

Connections (1984)

Enhancing Creativity (1996)

Threshold (1986)

Music for Your PC (1996)

Crystal Suite (1987)

Afro-Desia (1996)

Gaias Groove (1989)

In the Key of Healing (1996)

Islands in Time (1990)

Relaxation Spontanee (1996)

3
Attracting Prosperity (1997)

Radiance:Love Songs Without Words

Music for Lovers (1997)

Recovering from Alcoholism

Stop Smoking (1997)

Rhythms of Vision

Workstation Wellness (1997)

Shared Vision

Achieving Your Ideal Weight (1997)

Soundwave 2000 Series

The Sacred Chorde, with Fabien Maman on modern


monochord (1998)
Prophecies (1998)
Music for Accelerated Learning (1999)
Music for Sound Healing (1999)
Serenity Suite:Music & Nature (1999)
Divine Intervention (1999)

6 External links
Inner Peace Music Steven Halpern - Steven
Halperns website

7 References

Sound Chi (1999)

[1] Steven Halpern at Allmusic

Deja-Blues (2000)

[2] Steven Halpern bio. MTV. Retrieved April 30, 2013.

Chants to Awaken the Buddhist Heart (2000)

[3] Susan Smith Jones (2010). The Joy Factor: 10 Sacred


Practices for Radiant Health. Conari Press. p. 74. Retrieved April 30, 2013.

Cruise Control (2001)


Chakra Suite (2001)
Transitions (2002)
Music for Massage (2002)
Perfect Alignment (2002)
Sound Medicine:Music for Healing (2002)
Crystal Bowl Healing (2003)
Ocean Suite (2003)
Healing Songs of Earth & Sky (2004)

[4] Maria Armoudian (April 1, 1995). Beyond Mainstream


Marketing. Billboard Magazine. p. 64. Retrieved April
30, 2013.
[5] John Diliberto (March 22, 1997). Beyond the Stars.
Billboard Magazine. p. 44. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
[6] Jon Klimo (1998). Channeling: Investigations on Receiving Information from Paranormal Sources, Second Edition. North Atlantic Books. p. 379.
[7] Eclectic Musician. Billboard Magazine. October 25,
1986. p. N10. Retrieved April 30, 2013.

Tonal Alchemy (2005)

[8] Derek Richardson (November 1986). The Sounds of


Sominex. Mother Jones. p. 60. Retrieved April 30,
2013.

Music for Healing & Unwinding (2006)

[9] Billboard, Allmusic.com

Lake Suite (2006)


Music for Babies (2006)

[10] Steven Halpern. Deseret News. January 25, 1985. Retrieved April 30, 2013.

Initiation Inside the Great Pyramid (2007)

[11] Independent Music Awards - Past Judges

Music for Lovers, Vol. 2 (2007)

[12] Betty Timm (March 27, 1999). Scanning the Retail Situation. Billboard Magazine. p. 58. Retrieved April 30,
2013.

In the Om Zone (2007)


Drum Spirit (2007)
Peace of Mind (2007)
Creativity

[13] Gay L. Williamson (1996). Golden Eggs: Spiritual Wisdom for Birthing Our Live. HCI. Retrieved April 30,
2013.

Lifetide

[14] Stephen A. Marini (2003). Sacred song in America: religion, music, and public culture. University of Illinois
Press. p. 178.

Peak Performance

[15] Marini, p. 167

[16] Brian Luke Seaward (2011). Managing Stress: Principles


and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. Jones & Bartlett
Publishers. p. 436.
[17] John Hanc (October 26, 1986). The Power Of Positive
Tape Playing. Newsday. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
[18] Don Campbell (1991). Music: Physician for Times to
Come : an Anthology. Quest Books. p. 161.
[19] 11th Step. Lakeland Ledger. September 29, 1991. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
[20] Noise can damage more than hearing, author says.
Montreal Gazette. May 25, 1985. Retrieved April 30,
2013.
[21] Therapists Music Makes Powerful Medicine. Deseret
News. November 7, 1986. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
[22] Grammys 2013: Complete list of nominees and winners. Los Angeles Times. February 10, 2013. Retrieved
April 30, 2013.

REFERENCES

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

8.1

Text

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Images

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jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Gazebo

8.3

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