Serenity Suite

If it hadn't been for keyboardist Steve Halpern, the New Age genre may never have been born. His 1975 release, Spectrum Suite, marked the debut of a music whose compositional structure was free and intended for relaxation. Halpern built an entire career around this concept and thanks to his serenely inspired tinkling, along with the genre it spawned, thousands of listeners have found a musical way to unwind and heal from the stresses of life. Nowhere is this more apparent than on Halpern's Serenity Suite, a 1999 release that marries the sounds of tweeting birds and mountain streams with a gentle piano and warm electric keyboards. It's like a soundtrack to a camping trip, or rather, it captures the quiet contentment you experience when camping. Select tracks include airy flute, harp, and violin, which flow effortlessly within Halpern's pleasant atmosphere like stream water over mossy rocks. This album isn't for those who crinkle their nose at New Age music, but it certainly is for those interested in achieving serenity. --Karen K. Hugg