Nancy Hennings
Encyclopedia
Nancy Hennings is a musician who teamed up with Henry Wolff to make the album Tibetan Bells in 1971, one of the pioneering LPs of new age music
. In 1982, with the assistance of Wolff and Grateful Dead
drummer Mickey Hart
, she produced the mysterious sounding Yamantaka. She also contributed to the other Tibetan Bells albums Tibetan Bells II, Tibetan Bells III and The Bells of Sha'ng Shu'ng.
The Tibetan Bells albums should not be confused with ethnic Tibetan music. They are new age-style Western compositions that use the Tibetan instruments. Authentic Tibetan music has a quite different sound, using other instruments besides the metallophones. However, the beauty of the Tibetan Bells albums is exquisite, and the sounds other-worldly. If it was not stated outright that only acoustic instruments were used, your ears would trick you into thinking some of it was synthesized (electronic elements do appear on The Bells of Sha'ng Shu'ng, making it a far less successful record). In 1971, when the first album appeared, this was even more true than it is 35 years later.
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
. In 1982, with the assistance of Wolff and Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
drummer Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
, she produced the mysterious sounding Yamantaka. She also contributed to the other Tibetan Bells albums Tibetan Bells II, Tibetan Bells III and The Bells of Sha'ng Shu'ng.
The Tibetan Bells albums should not be confused with ethnic Tibetan music. They are new age-style Western compositions that use the Tibetan instruments. Authentic Tibetan music has a quite different sound, using other instruments besides the metallophones. However, the beauty of the Tibetan Bells albums is exquisite, and the sounds other-worldly. If it was not stated outright that only acoustic instruments were used, your ears would trick you into thinking some of it was synthesized (electronic elements do appear on The Bells of Sha'ng Shu'ng, making it a far less successful record). In 1971, when the first album appeared, this was even more true than it is 35 years later.