Steven Halpern
Echoes of a Dream finds Marin-based New Age music pioneer Steven Halpern at his artistic peak. Uplifting melodies, ambient atmospheres, and exquisitely detailed production are sure to please old and new fans alike. The extraordinary vocals of Kristin Hoffmann are featured on the title track, adding new dimension to the blues-inspired chord progression. Grammy winner David Darling’s cello soars over a deeply resonant arrangement featuring Steven’s celestial Rhodes electric piano. Other tracks feature duduk, bamboo flute, and fretless bass (by Michael Manring).
Every track creates a ‘’natural high’’ as a portal to relaxation, mindfulness, and inner peace. Music tuned to a harmonic of the earth’s Schumann resonance (approximately 8 Hz) may amplify its healing potential. This album is tuned to A=432 Hz rather than the standard concert pitch of A=440 Hz.
Steven Halpern is the original new age artist, in the most accurate sense of the term. In 1975 he released Spectrum Suite, his first album of music specifically designed for relaxation and healing. Before that he had been immersed in the New York City jazz scene as a trumpeter and guitarist. Noting the adverse effects of life in the fast lane, he moved to California, where he perfected his idea of “anti-frantic alternative” music. Based partly on his metaphysical beliefs and partly on solid scientific research into the effects of sound on the human body, he came to the conclusion that the Western foundation of tension and release in music couldn’t by nature provide listeners with relief from stress.
He decided the answer was to create music that “didn’t go anywhere” in the traditional sense, but instead immersed the listener in a soothing atmosphere conducive to recuperative and transcendental experiences. As a result, he created music centered largely around cascades of major-key arpeggios improvised at the electric piano, adding generous helpings of reverb to create a spacey, other-worldly feeling. He took inspiration from Asian classical music and looked into the ceremonial, magical, and healing aspects of sound used by ancient cultures. He has released more than 50 instrumental and guided-meditation recordings, and has also written two books, Tuning the Human Instrument and Sound Health.
“Steven Halpern’s music has uplifted a generation of seekers. He has created a soundtrack for our evolutionary journey.” —Marianne Williamson.
StevenHalpernMusic.com
—L. B.