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From: Mannieb <mannieb@laritmo.com>
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Subject: NightDancers' Montana Crossings: Flute Music of Transformation
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:05:10 -0700 (PDT)
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By Mark Kirby, MusicDish e-Journal
Whether it has to do with the philosophy of better living through
habit, thought or magical action, things that are associated with "New
Age" are theoretically supposed to have some basis in spirituality.
Yet much of this spiritually is lightly rooted in the shallows of
corporate productivity techniques or power-of-positive-thinking type
truisms with some pseudo eastern promises for dressing.
Then there is the New Age philosophy that harkens back to something
ancient, even primordial. This is especially visible in the music. So
much of what is called New Age music is made from artificial
ingredients, from canned sounds created by synthesizers tuned and
programmed for maximum vapidity; and voices, always the voices, high
and breathy with a thin, grating tone that someone somewhere decided
signified the celestial. But there are musicians who create spiritual
and contemplative music based in the traditions and sounds of
antiquity, from nations and cultures with long shadows such as Africa,
China, Japan and India.
Riding on this track is the group NightDancers, a duo consisting of
flautists Gera Clark and John Sarantos, who perform original songs
based on the folkloric styles of several Native American tribes. The
music on their CD Montana Crossings is both ethereal and earthy,
reflecting the unitary, all-is-one world view common to Native
American cosmology. The songs are mostly built on simple three to
seven note motifs that go through different permutations. The flutes -
NightDancers plays twenty-five different kinds of these wooden,
handcrafted instruments - blend together and dance, their music
resonating in what sounds like a valley high up in the mountains or a
cathedral (kudos to engineer Jim Anderson of AVATAR Studios in NYC).
The effect of the music is meditative and dreamy. The music itself is
never static or boring; in fact its intricacies reveal themselves with
repeated listening. The titles evoke, perhaps invoke, aspects of the
natural and supernatural worlds, which many indigenous tribes say are
one and the same.
The song titles and how the pieces are composed and arranged reflect
this thinking. Musically these pieces evoke the objects and ideas
behind the titles as well. The opening track "Spirit Winds" starts
with soft, breathy tones that rise from silence in unison. Then one
flute states a simple theme that is answered by a counter melody from
the other flute; they go back and forth, each musical voice getting
time and space alone while connecting with the other. The title track
starts with bursts of fluttery, echoing sounds, followed by a long-
toned plaintive melody calling to mind Montana's terrain of mountains
and wide-open plains. One characteristic element of all the songs is
how the flutes will hit consonant harmonies that ring out
dramatically, and dissonant unison lines that buzz gently yet also
sooth in an odd sort of way.
On "Butterfly Dance" the flutes play lines that gently glide like the
butterfly itself, answering and echoing each other in way that
suggests the "round" form found in European folk and classical music.
On "Turtle and Bird," NightDancers take evocation literally. One flute
moves in long-toned, deliberately paced turtle lines while the other
play's light riffs that flit and hop like our aviary brethren would.
As the piece continues, the unitary theme comes through as the two
flutes move together, conversing in similar voices that stills
maintain their original animal character. "Elk Medicine" is a gentle
wail of pleading and prayer and is one of the strongest tracks on the
record. It is also an example of healing music. The opening cry is
answered by melodies that create a sense of quietude and peace. And
healing.
Ms. Clark and Mr. Sarantos take the healing aspects of their music
literally. Clark, a RN, has been teaching people how to play the flute
for meditation and stress relief. She also started New York City's
Miracle House Flute Circle where she works with cancer patients using
music for healing. Sarantos teaches flute workshops all over the
country.
Montana Crossings creates music that is relaxing and interesting, that
can be played either as background or as an immediately engaging
listen.
http://www.nightdancersmusic.com
http://cdbaby.com/cd/nightdancersmusic
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