I’ve Been There–Maybe

Music for Airports.  Lovely.  Brian Eno and his ambient music.

I have listened to Brian Eno’s music for years.  I believe his first ‘Music for Airports’ was released in 1978.  He used an interesting technique in developing the music.  He asked individual musicians to provide parts of the music but didn’t let them listen to the other parts first.  I like collaboration in the arts but I think this technique was interesting.  Brian didn’t want the other musicians to influence or inhibit each other.  He acted as the supreme composer and master minder.

And, it worked.

The reason behind his interest in airport music was this:  airport music was scary at best.  It was not good music to begin with and was played out by scratchy sounding systems and always interrupted by barely audible instructions to go here or go there.  It seemed to Brian to be an afterthought when it should have had a major position like the soundtrack of a really good movie.  After all, aren’t most of us a bit on edge as we wait to board a plane or wait to welcome an incoming passenger?  Shouldn’t the music be soothing and a bit interesting?

It wasn’t.

Brian found a way to make it be exactly the way he would like it to be.  And, I think it is what most of us would also like.

Take a listen to his music, in four parts now, and let me know what you think.