Anna Turner (producer)
Encyclopedia
Anna Turner was an American
producer and administrator. Turner is best known as the original partner of Stephen Hill for launching the space music
radio show Hearts of Space
: she was its original radio co-producer (1973–1987) and early co-host (1974–1986), as well as co-founder and record co-producer (1984–1990s) of the associated label Hearts of Space Records
.
, funded by National Endowment for the Arts and the Rockefeller Foundation), also "coordinating the authorship and publication of written materials concerning NCET."
Turner was described as "sweet, beautiful, skillful, intelligent, insightful, and in our work situations, astoundingly dependable. She was an artistic sounding-board for me, and we worked very closely together on most of my more demanding projects – including being my primary support person throughout the production of the Videola exhibit", as eulogized by ex-boyfriend and NCET's then-resident video artist Don Hallock, who also noted her as "a central element of NCET's success."
(HOS). Turner also became the show's co-host from 1974 to 1986, originally under the on-air pseudonym of "Annamystic" (sometimes rendered "Anna Mystic"). In 1980, Hill and Turner "began to lay the groundwork for national syndication" and in January 1983 the show was syndicated in the U.S. on National Public Radio; as Hill memorialized, "More than anyone else, she was responsible for moving the program into national distribution, for Anna was a person with vision, always moving towards the next frontier."
In mid-1986, Turner started gradually disengaging from the show, with some of her producing duties picked up by "then new, now long running guest producer Ellen Holmes" of Adagio Recordings. According to a fan timeline of the show, Turner's last show dual-narrated with Hill was program 109 "Departure" (October 1986) and her last show as narrator was program 118 "Dona Nobis Pacem" (December 1986). Her last co-production credit was for program 121 "Take It to Heart"; Turner co-produced 114 of the syndicated shows, being most programs from #1 (January 1983) to #121 (February 1987).
's 1982 Sacred Space Music, whose liner notes credited Hill and expressed "to Anna Turner of Music for the Hearts of Space, the deepest appreciation and gratitude for her guidance – both artistic and musical – and for the depth of her wisdom, generosity and love."
In 1984, Hill and Turner co-founded the show's record label, Hearts of Space Records
(later sold to Valley Entertainment
in 2001). Turner was a record co-producer for some of its about 150 releases, such as Constance Demby
's best-selling Novus Magnificat
(1986). She also co-produced the New Age compilation Polar Shift: A Benefit for Antarctica (1991, including Demby, Yanni
, and Vangelis
), released by Picture Music
.
inspirational speaker Jach Pursel, who allegedly channeled a "multidimensional entity" named Lazaris.
According to Hill, Anna Turner died of "a fast moving form of cancer" on August 27, 1996, "in her early 50's." The next month, Hearts of Space broadcast a memorial to her with a rerun of program 91 re-titled the "Anna Turner Tribute" and introduced by Stephen Hill, who said that "this program captures a big part of Anna Turner's being: full of light, beauty, and vision, always reaching for the next frontier."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
producer and administrator. Turner is best known as the original partner of Stephen Hill for launching the space music
Space music
Space music, also called spacemusic, is an umbrella term, synonymous with a segment of New Age Music and Ambient Music, used to describe music that evokes a feeling of contemplative spaciousness. Space music can be found within a wide range of genres. It is particularly associated with ambient, New...
radio show Hearts of Space
Hearts of Space
Hearts of Space is a United States weekly syndicated public radio show featuring music of a contemplative nature drawn largely from the ambient, New Age and electronic genres, while also including classical, world, Celtic, experimental, and other music selections...
: she was its original radio co-producer (1973–1987) and early co-host (1974–1986), as well as co-founder and record co-producer (1984–1990s) of the associated label Hearts of Space Records
Hearts of Space Records
Hearts of Space Records is an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment.From the label’s website, “Launched in 1984, this record label was created as an extension of the weekly syndicated radio show Hearts of Space...
.
NCET
In the early 1970s, Turner worked as general administrative assistant and "Information Director and Tape Librarian" at the [NCET] (National Center for Experiments in Television, a KQED-TV project of the San Francisco visual artsSan Francisco visual arts
San Francisco Bay Area contemporary art is known for its cross-disciplinary artists like Bruce Conner, Bruce Nauman, and Peter Voulkos as well as a large number of non-profit alternative art spaces including New Langton Arts, Intersection for the Arts, and Southern Exposure...
, funded by National Endowment for the Arts and the Rockefeller Foundation), also "coordinating the authorship and publication of written materials concerning NCET."
Turner was described as "sweet, beautiful, skillful, intelligent, insightful, and in our work situations, astoundingly dependable. She was an artistic sounding-board for me, and we worked very closely together on most of my more demanding projects – including being my primary support person throughout the production of the Videola exhibit", as eulogized by ex-boyfriend and NCET's then-resident video artist Don Hallock, who also noted her as "a central element of NCET's success."
Hearts of Space
In 1973, Turner was the original radio co-producer of Stephen Hill's weekly radio show Hearts of SpaceHearts of Space
Hearts of Space is a United States weekly syndicated public radio show featuring music of a contemplative nature drawn largely from the ambient, New Age and electronic genres, while also including classical, world, Celtic, experimental, and other music selections...
(HOS). Turner also became the show's co-host from 1974 to 1986, originally under the on-air pseudonym of "Annamystic" (sometimes rendered "Anna Mystic"). In 1980, Hill and Turner "began to lay the groundwork for national syndication" and in January 1983 the show was syndicated in the U.S. on National Public Radio; as Hill memorialized, "More than anyone else, she was responsible for moving the program into national distribution, for Anna was a person with vision, always moving towards the next frontier."
In mid-1986, Turner started gradually disengaging from the show, with some of her producing duties picked up by "then new, now long running guest producer Ellen Holmes" of Adagio Recordings. According to a fan timeline of the show, Turner's last show dual-narrated with Hill was program 109 "Departure" (October 1986) and her last show as narrator was program 118 "Dona Nobis Pacem" (December 1986). Her last co-production credit was for program 121 "Take It to Heart"; Turner co-produced 114 of the syndicated shows, being most programs from #1 (January 1983) to #121 (February 1987).
HOS Records
In 1980, Hill and Turner decided to expand the radio program and started a mail order business to sell the albums played on the show; together they wrote a 100-page annotated catalog called The Hearts of Space Guide to Cosmic, Transcendent and Innerspace Music (1981). They also spent time helping some artists produce records, such as Constance DembyConstance Demby
Constance Mary Demby is an American multi-instrument musician and composer. Demby is identified with the New Age movement , while some of her output is also classified as ambient or space music. She is also a singer, instrument designer, painter, sculptor, and multi-media producer...
's 1982 Sacred Space Music, whose liner notes credited Hill and expressed "to Anna Turner of Music for the Hearts of Space, the deepest appreciation and gratitude for her guidance – both artistic and musical – and for the depth of her wisdom, generosity and love."
In 1984, Hill and Turner co-founded the show's record label, Hearts of Space Records
Hearts of Space Records
Hearts of Space Records is an independent record label owned by Valley Entertainment.From the label’s website, “Launched in 1984, this record label was created as an extension of the weekly syndicated radio show Hearts of Space...
(later sold to Valley Entertainment
Valley Entertainment
Valley Entertainment is a United States music distributor and independent record label based in New York City. The company was founded in 1996 by Barney Cohen, president and CEO. In 2001, they acquired the prestigious back catalogue of space, ambient, and New Age music from Hearts of Space Records...
in 2001). Turner was a record co-producer for some of its about 150 releases, such as Constance Demby
Constance Demby
Constance Mary Demby is an American multi-instrument musician and composer. Demby is identified with the New Age movement , while some of her output is also classified as ambient or space music. She is also a singer, instrument designer, painter, sculptor, and multi-media producer...
's best-selling Novus Magnificat
Novus Magnificat
Novus Magnificat: Through the Stargate is a New Age album by Constance Demby, with additional sonic textures by composer Michael Stearns. The album sold over 200,000 copies worldwide and made Demby one of the most successful New Age artists of the time...
(1986). She also co-produced the New Age compilation Polar Shift: A Benefit for Antarctica (1991, including Demby, Yanni
Yanni
Yanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
, and Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
), released by Picture Music
Picture Music
Picture Music is the fourth album of electronic music by German musician Klaus Schulze. It was recorded in late 1974 and released in January 1975 on Brain Records. In 2005 this was the second Schulze album reissued by Revisited Records. This is the only Klaus Schulze solo album in which he can be...
.
Personal life
Anna Turner was born around 1944. After her Hearts of Space years, Turner lived up to her old radio pseudonym "Annamystic" when according to her friend Don Hallock, she "embarked on an intense journey of spiritual inquiry. She spent considerable time studying with New AgeNew Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
inspirational speaker Jach Pursel, who allegedly channeled a "multidimensional entity" named Lazaris.
According to Hill, Anna Turner died of "a fast moving form of cancer" on August 27, 1996, "in her early 50's." The next month, Hearts of Space broadcast a memorial to her with a rerun of program 91 re-titled the "Anna Turner Tribute" and introduced by Stephen Hill, who said that "this program captures a big part of Anna Turner's being: full of light, beauty, and vision, always reaching for the next frontier."
Further reading
- Birosik, Patti Jean, ed. (1989). "Space Music" by Anna Turner, in The New Age Music Guide, London: Collier MacMillan, ISBN 0020416407, p. 134
- Melton, J. Gordon, ed. (1990). New Age Encyclopedia by J. Gordon Melton, Jerome Clark, & Aidan A. Kelly, Detroit: Gale Research, ISBN 0810371596, p. 211 http://books.google.com/books?id=GoEYAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Turner+Anna%22&pgis=1#search_anchor
- Robertson, DonDon Robertson (composer)Don Robertson is an American composer.Don Robertson was born in 1942 in Denver, Colorado, and began studying music with conductor and pianist Antonia Brico at age 3...
(2005). "The Twentieth Century, Part Six: New Age Music" in Music through the Centuries, Rising World Entertainment, October 2005, released at DoveSong.com