Minimalist music - Week 3

Minimalism is a style of music which originated on the West coast of America in the 1960s with composers such as Steve Reich, Terry Riley and Philip Glass.

 Features:

• Layers of ostinati ( a rhythmic, melodic that are repeated a lot)
• a complex contrapuntal texture
• Constantly repeated patterns that are subjected to gradual changes
• Interlocking repeated phrases and rhythms
• Diatonic (using notes that belong to the key rather than notes which are outside the key) harmony

We listened to 3 different pieces of music that are played by musicians known for minimalism and they are Philip Glass and Steve Reich.

2nd Piece, It's Gonna Rain, Steve Reich:

This pice is very different from others it's repetitive and very catchy because its the same thing throughout the whole piece. There is a bit of layering of texture but is is not very noticeable since all your attention is on one part of the layer. So this piece is less harmonical. However, using the phrase "It's gonna rain" adds a whole new vibe to the music piece since it represented in different formats or ways. This also symbolizes freedom and shows that music doesn't always have to go by the rules. Instead its about thinking outside the box.

3rd Piece, Different trains, Steve Reich:

This piece of music was my favourite, it utilized many sorts of texture to give it a capturing visualization. as you listen to the music you can identify that many sorts of rhythmic patterns have been layered to create a complex texture. You will also hear a phrase that sounds like "From Chicago to New York". This means that he has recorded snippets of train announcements and added that to his music piece. This not only is catchy but also gives a good rhythm and beat. The background music to go with that compliments the voice recordings. This shows that you can use real life scenarios and  apply that into music. This also gives an insight of your personal life and it also has a meaning.