THE NOVAPHONIC SOUND
Resonant, sonically rich, sonorous, colorful, mind-expanding sounds
are what one should expect from the 20th Century Novaphonic sound
of Quintal, Quartal harmony developed to its greatest extent by composer/keyboardist/electric
bassist, Tony Newton.
These harmonies are Innately colorful, resonant, and pleasing to the
human ear, mind, and nervous system, because they are built of musical
Intervals (steps) of a fifth and fourth, which are the first two active
harmonic tones in Nature's natural harmonic overtone series (the chord
of nature). Innately, the human ear hears all the sound In relation
to the overtone series. Also, the overtone series, and the natural
evolution of Western musical harmony, represent, parallel, and are
a musical representation of socio-cultural trends in harmo-musical
sounds. The easiest way to grasp the concept of the overtone series
is to understand them as contributing Internal sound frequencies that
are generated from the fundamental 1 sound, and which have specific
mathematical relations, and they contribute to color and resonance.
Quite likely there are many different colors that contribute to one
hue of a particular color.
Newton states that these harmonies and their evolution can be traced
throughout History in Individual chords, from ancient times (of the
Gregorian chant) of the Middle Ages, to an Influx of these harmonies
in the 19th and 20th century music of Claude Debussy, Paul Hindemith,
and Arnold Schoenberg. There are also emergings in contemporary jazz
and pop idioms. Traditionally, for the past six thousand years, chords
have been built of thirds (tertian), which appear farther up In the
overtone series. Also, tertian structures only account for a partial
view of the harmonic sound color energy spectrum. Whereas, with the
addition of Quintal, Quartal, Hybrid, and Matrix harmony systems,
we have a more expanded, complete harmonic sound color energy spectrum
to work with and listen to.
Within Newton's Novaphonic harmonic system, there are 971 Quintal
(5ths), 177 Quartal (4ths), 115 Hybrid (mixed), choral harmonies for
a total of 1263 new chords with an astounding 15,156 total chord combinations
in all twelve keys, including an advanced system whereby a 12-tone
overtone row Is derived through a specific formula from the first
28 harmonic overtones, which then form 84 new chord combinations.
The development of this revolutionary system is an ongoing process
with Newton. The basic core information took over three years to develop
through delving Into musical and acoustical physics, deriving and
observing certain mathematical formulae, and applying traditiona1
musical compositional techniques, all of which can be found In the
seven volumes of textbooks Newton has written, and which are available
through Newsac music Publishing company. Newton feels that his thrust
as a music artist in this creative effort was of organizing a mass
of data that was, up to now, unobserved. He put it into a comprehensible
system which links to and expands our traditional 12-tone chromatic
equal tempered harmo-musical approach. This New approach also includes
an expanded concept of consonance (stable) and dissonance (unstable).
Newton expands these to a tri-polar function through adding in the
middle1 "Transonic" (transient). Our traditional notation
as well is extended, while at the same time using such fundamental
technique as an advanced form of figured bass.
Newton is a veteran composer and musician for over 20 years, recording,
touring, and performing on over 25 award-winning hit recordings, including
film sound tracks, as well as working with several top names in the
professional music scene, such as Smokes Robinson, Stevie Wonder,
Donnie and Marie Osmond, Jack Nitsche, Motown records, Warner Brothers,
to name a few. Newton's compositions appeared on two of the now legendary)
fusion group, "Tony William's Lifetime" for Columbia Recording,
"Believe it" and "Million Dollar Legs", along
with Newton, Williams, Allan Holdsworth and Allan Pasqua were featured.
Being a composer of both classical and popular music, Newton feels
that his vast and diverse musical, philosophical, and scientific influences
of the past, led him to these discoveries. As an instrumentalist,
Newton started at the young age of seven, studying woodwinds for several
years, then switching to electric bass for over fifteen years, and
then adding piano/synthesizer. Newton Is. an honor graduate of L.
A. City College and holds a bachelor of music degree f non Mount St.
Mary's College, Los Angeles, ii theory, composition and piano.
Newton feels that this new breakthrough in harmony will catapult the
music artist and - Listener towards new dimensions in sound and awareness.
"The collective consciousness of the late 20th century mind Is
In a state of readiness for new harmonic vistas. Due to the mind's
natural evolution and adjustment to sound, the time of harmonic color
expansion has arrived, even though there are those who thought "harmony
is dead." As the 20th century heralds its time of great technological
and spiritual awakening in quintessential human consciousness, the
Novaphonic Quintal /Quartal harmony sound is playing its role in awakening
and catapulting humans toward our greater potential, harmonically,
artistically, spiritually, and scientifically."
At present, Newton has created a sizable catalogue of over 50 compositions
and recordings of contemporary classical, pop, and jazz idioms, of
both acoustic and electronic synthesizer. There is also a five-volume
instructional, historical, and compositional. performance, and autobiographical
text that deals with the Novaphonic sound exclusively, in simultaneous
release with the Is book is the re I ease on Novaphonic Music: Newton's
1st albumrecording titled "NOVAPHONIA," which is the debut
of Newton's published compositions featuring the Novaphonic Sound
with Newton performing on MID1 computer assisted synthesizers, creating
an amazing palette of musical sound and experience.
"Music is the key to Universal Harmony" ….Newton
