New Age Music

Jilda and I listen to New Age music as we sip our morning coffee. Most of it is instrumental. The ones with vocals somehow weave the words into the orchestration so that the voices sound like another instrument.

There’s a difference between New Age and elevator music. It’s hard to explain, but to me, most elevator music is bland, whereas New Age is more lilting and often ethereal.

I remember the first time we were ever exposed to New Age music. I was in Boston on a training trip and Jilda tagged along. We did all the touristy things — walked the Freedom Trail, visited the Old North Church and ate Boston baked beans from a white porcelain cup at a small café.

We chose a window seat so that we could watch people strolling down the streets on that beautiful spring day.

That afternoon, we drove to Salem, Massachusetts. We learned about the Salem Witch Trials and toured the House of Seven Gables Museum. The house was the setting for Nathanial Hawthorne’s book by that name.

Later, we visited a small shop owned by Laurie Cabot, who is the official witch of Salem. The shop was a unique experience. It had lamps, candles, and crystals. She also offered music CDs and books on history, spells, chants and therapeutic spanking….OK, I’m kidding about the spanking.

While we browsed, we heard angelic music wafting from hidden speakers. When we were ready to check out, the woman tending the shop appeared. She was Laurie Cabot’s daughter and had dark flowing hair with obsidian eyes. Her dress was made of lace that looked as delicate as a sparrow’s wing.

When I asked about the music playing, she told us the artist’s name was Enya.

I made a mental note to buy our own copy of her music.

Jilda chose a book on herbs, and the woman placed the book in a beautiful bag with a few stems of sage, and some glitter. It seemed like something Glenda, the good witch in Wizard of Oz, might do. We’ve bought thousands of books, but I don’t remember any of those transactions in such vivid detail.

When we returned from our Bostonian trip, I headed to the local music store and bought a copy of the Enya recording.

Since my introduction to New Age music, I’ve discovered many other talented artists that fit nicely into our Sunday-morning routine.

I listen to the music while I’m writing. It usually keeps me engaged without derailing my train of thought, but sometimes the music sidetracks me to interesting places and the words follow along for the ride.

Often when people visit new places, they only see the bad parts. They see the crazy traffic, the congestion, rude people and unfriendly weather.

But when Jilda and I visit new places, we tend to look for the good things…the food, the sights, and the smells. What I remember from our trip to Massachusetts are the best baked beans I’ve ever tasted, glitter in our bag and New Age music.