When speaking of minimalism in music, one cannot speak of it completely without mentioning Terry Riley and La Monte Young, who at a large extent are credited for being the pioneers of the minimalism movement (Potter, 2). The interaction between the two classmates at the University of California-Berkeley would later go on to shape a new genre of music. Riley and Young were both interested in classical music and drew inspiration from John Cage, a renowned composer and performer based in Germany (Potter, 12). In 1959, Young visited Germany and got to experience music performance from his mentor John Cage and David Tudor. It was during this time that Young began experimenting with chance elements and making his music as simple as possible. He later went on to compose the Trio of Strings that would later act as an inspiration to his former’s classmate String Quartet written by Riley (Potter, 14).
The article is clearly written and well-articulated. It captures the journey of the two musicians aptly and how the two led to the coming up of the minimalism movement. Although written in a style that may be termed as not to be very “captivating,” the author compensates by giving attention to detail and making the article wholesome and informative as possible.
The article is very relevant in my studies because it helps me to appreciate the uprising of the minimalism movement and how the movement led to the shaping of the music scene especially the classical music scene. It is also very informative and factual and has equipped me with knowledge that will prove to be very useful both in my studies and my career.
Works Cited
Fink, Robert Wallace. Repeating Ourselves: American Minimal Music as Cultural Practice. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005. Print.
Obendorf, Hartmut. Minimalism: Designing Simplicity. London: Springer London, 2009. Print.
Potter, Keith. Four Musical Minimalists: La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Print.
