Page six
- GUILFORPIAN, November 4, 1980
Alternative Mirror
Ambient M
Part 111
A Column By Roy Parkhurst
This is the third and final
column on Ambient Music. This
time I would like to answer, in
the context of my commentary,
some of the questions I ended
with last time.
Pop music means "popular"
music which indicates an eco
nomic or commercial considera
tion. As we all know, the
success of "pop" varies great
ly. There is usually a "style"
mainstream, and also under
ground movements, especially
in rock and jazz. Rock is
probably the biggest commer
cial pop industry with millions
and millions of dollars wrapped
up in its production and pro
motion. I do not wish to
comment on the industry in
general, only to consider as
pects of it.
The current "underground"
movements are too varied and
numerous to really talk about.
Some obvious examples are
"art rock" and "new wave."
Ambient Music is just one
portion of the underground
scene, though it is slowly emer
ging into the public eye. (Any
real test of the market is to
make observations on this
"emergence" and to be in the
marketplace (I work part time in
a record store) and to talk to the
consumer public (of which I
cannot avoid no matter how
hard I try.)
First of all, there is a consis
tent, though small market for
Brian Eno, including his Am
bient Music. Albums like
"Music For Airports" has had a
surprising impact on the public
considering its obscurity and
minimal promotion. I see sev
eral copies of Ambient record
ings sold every month, not to
mention the difficulty of keep
ing any kind of complete catalog
in on Brian Eno at any given
time. Just as Eno has reacted
against certain "conventions"
in rock, a segment of the public
has also.
The disappointment however
is that this consumer public
does not have better taste or a
more refined esthetic sensi
tivity, they like it because it's
"nice." I hear these people
walking around buying Eno and
copies of the Pachabel Canon in
D Major because it makes for
nice, inactive, unobstrusive
background music. Even a per
fectly intelligent, fellow em
ployee of mine said to me that
he listened almost exclusively to
new wave and no longer had the
urge to listen to Classical music
"except when I study some
times."
I found this somewhat fright
ening, that a Brahms symphony
served no other function than to
fill an otherwise empty sonic
space, a music which requires
the utmost concentration and
intellect reduced to a calming
drone. This same mentality at
much more exaggerated levels
is one of the primary moti
vations in the purchase of Brian
Eno and other things like Gre
gorian Chants.
There is a distinct trend in the
"non-listening" listener out
there. For example, Steve Hal
pern, a California "composer"
associated with the notorious
"Spiritual Frontiers" crowd is
another writer of consciously
passive music. Halpern has
suggested that music's real goal
is to enhance our health (align
our Chacras in Frontier lan
guage.) Basically, he is talking
about "music therapy," some
thing for people suffering from
autism. The concept of "art"
has become meaningless and
irrelevant to him and his fol
lowers.
I find this concept very dis
turbing, and though I believe
that Brian Eno does not intend
this narrow interpretation of his
music, that is the apparent
effect it has had on consumer
America, because I know from
experience that Eno's Ambient
Music, Halpern's Zodiac Music,
and Pachabel's Canon is gain
ing considerable popularity
among a similar crowd. The
public has in this attitude
destroyed the true value of this
music. This is not a sign of an
emerging artistic sensibility, it
is in many respects a decline
and ultimately indicates an
anesthesized culture moving to
ward a dangerous apathy. I hear
cries of "artsy fartsy" out there
but I do not even bother to talk
to those people, they're the
ones missing out.
The future of music, at one
level, lies in the attitude of the
public and they will affect the
further evolution or decay of
music. At another level it
comments on America in gen
eral. I am not ignoring all the
intelligent people who honestly
appreciate the cause of quality
music, but there, as there has
always been, is a large portion
of the public which is dan
gerously blind and unconcerned
with the survival and perpetua
tion of artistic endeavors.
The music scene, as any
artistic medium, reflects upon
the society in which it is
developing A book could cer
tainly be written on the current
sociological condition from the
perspective of the arts. All I can
do is appeal to the public to
open their eyes, to be educated.
I am still convinced that too
many students go through
schools missing the whole
point, the implications of know
ledge. I do not want to editorial
ize out of my element, I only
hope to present a picture that is
viewable by everyone. '
Next time: fun and" more
sociology when I do a series on
"Dungeons And Dragons" and
the gaming industry. Until
then, be ambient.
Looking for the
By John Mottern
This is not the town of Milwaukee or the vineyards of Southern California, but some of us still
take an interest in nippin' the ole Spirits. Since this is the case, and since we are
economy-minded students, it is prudent that we know where to get the best for our bucks.
The area food stores, Big Star, Best Way, and the Open Pantry are in walking distance from
the college and are well stocked with wines and beer. The following are price comparisons of
some selected brands:
Big Star Best Way Open Pantry
Gallo White Rhine 1.5 L 2.69 3.91
Taylor Lake w/r 1.5 L 4.09 4.45
Boone's Farm Wild Mt. 1.49 1 59
Boone's Farm Country Quencher 1.29 1.41
Andre Extra Dry Champagne 2.89 2.93 3.80
Taylor Extra Dry Champagne 5.45 5.93
Stroh'scans 2.09 2.09 2.49
Stroh's bottles 2.25 \ 2.31 2.77
Budweisercans 2.25 2.27 2.77
Budweiser bottles 2.25 2.77
Heineken bottles 4.59 4.28 5.25
Pabstcans 2.25 2.77
Pabst bottles 2.09 2.27
Schlitzcans 2.25 2.77
Schlitz bottles 2.25
Michelob bottles 2.53 2.56 3.35
Michelob cans 2.53 2.56
Huck's Delicatessen is a good place to get imported as well as domestic beers. The prices
there are of course higher because it is a restaurant.
About the Wine
The Gallo and the Taylor are both good all purpose wines. They go well with meals or cheese
and can easily be served alone. They offer an alternative to more expensive dinner wines.
The Boone's Farm as well as the Reunite wines have but one purpose and that is to be drunk.
They would ruin any meal and enhance nothing but your spirits. They are very sweet and nice on
ice.
For the student with money there are no limits.
A Word to the Wise
If yu have too much fun, there is a recipe in the infirmary booklet, received by all Guilford
students, Your Guide to Basic Health Care, which will help restore you to good working order.
Also coffee and a cold shower give you nothing but a clean, wide awake drunk.
N.C. Heritage
Saturday Nov. 8
10:00am-5:00pm
12:OOpm-5:OOpm
12:00pm-1:00pm
1:00pm-2:00pm
2:00-3.00pm
3:00-3:30pm
3:3opm-4:3opm
10:30pm-1:00am
Evening concert Dana Auditorium
8:00pm Swamp Cats
Red Clay Ramblers
Tickets will be on sale in front of cafeteria for $2.00 with ID.
All activities will be in Founders
Stained glass workshop
Crafts fair
String band
Walter and Ethel Phelps
Gwen Ledbetter
Contests: Pie baking
Cake baking
Tobacco spitting
Fiddle Puppets and Back Porch
String Band
Square dance with Fiddle Puppets
and Back Porch String Band
The Craft Center is sponsor
ing a stained glass workshop.
Steve Lapping will be the artist/
instructor. Steve owns Lapping
Stained Class Studio on McCee
St. There will be a slide show
and lecture on Wednesday
night at 7:30 in the Craft
Center. On Saturday, Steve will
conduct a workshop on how to
do stained glass. For more
information, call 852-1696.
A combination of bluegrass
and old-time music will begin
the North Carolina Heritage
Arts Festival. This band is
formed by Tim Maxwell, Gary
Silverstein, Rick Spackman, and
Susan Ide, who joined together
in old time tradition to put
together an hour of music and
fun. Tim (banjo, guitar) and
Rick (mandolin, guitar) played
last year in the Wareßidge
Ramblers. Gary Silverstein
(mandolin, banjo, guitar) plays
with the Swamp Cats.
The Fiddle Puppet Clogging
team will demonstrate various
clogging techniques and then
will teach all interested folks
how to clog. This will be a
unique opportunity to learn this
traditional dance style of the
Appalachians come on out
and get warmed up for the
square dance!
The square dance will be held
in Sternberger Auditorium. It
will feature the music of Back
Porch String Band and the
clogging and calling of the
Fiddle Puppets. The doggers
will also instruct dance -- begin
ners need not feel shy. Come
out for a fantastic time! Re
freshments will be available.