Bang on a Can

Steve Reich, an early pioneer in tape music and American minimalism, has established himself as one of the foremost composers of our time. His music is characterized by a strong, steady pulse and strictly diatonic and tonal harmonies. He is typically grouped together with other "first generation" minimalist composers such as Phillip Glass and La Monte Young, and more recently with younger composers such as John Adams. The music is deeply "American" in its roots, with an unrelenting pulse and short, repeating melodic figures often compared to rock-and-roll and be-bop. However, like other minimalist composers, Reich’s music is also largely influenced by extra-European forms and techniques, generally viewed as a response to the largely academic, elitist climate of new music in the 1950's and 60's.