Gerald Jay Markoe

by Carol WrightGerald Jay Markoe studied classical music at both Juilliard (B.A.) and the Manhattan School of Music (M.A.). Since the early 1960s, Markoe has studied meditation and astrology, and he specialized in translating the positions of the planets into music, often recording custom tapes based on a person's astrological sign. His first public album in 1988 was Music from the Pleiades, inspired by the famous poster of the constellation. Markoe formed his own music company, AstroMusic, to distribute his album, and Music from the Pleiades quickly became a bestseller in the New Age market. (Indeed, at least one Markoe album always ranks among the top sellers in the New Age market.) Markoe continued a series of Pleiades-inspired albums until 1993, when angels became the craze; his many angel albums showcase his sensitivity for Baroque music, walking a fine line between orchestral replication and spiritual embellishment. In 1995, he reached out to Native American "brothers" to record/produce albums with Cuzco medicine man Wachan Bajiyoperak (Inka Sunrise), Navajo flautist Brent Chase (Where the Earth Touches the Stars), and the Four Mountain Nation Singers (Navajo Chants). Markoe has also recorded music to back meditation albums narrated by Alma Daniel and Stacey Dean. One wonders what new directions Markoe will take now that he spends most of his time at his new home in Puerto Rico.