Music In My Life
“I want people to listen to [my music] and have it make some difference in their life” - Steve Reich
Music has always been central to my life, something I have always had a love-hate relationship with. When I was a child I initially resisted my parents’ attempts for me to learn piano. After all what child would want to sit still for an hour and practice? The outside world was far more exciting and playing piano was lame. Drastic measures were required to make me sit still, namely a combination of force and bribery. Willingly or not, I ultimately did what my parents wanted and sat in front of the piano each day to practice. I spent countless hours practicing the same pieces over and over again, developing muscle memory for the upcoming recitals. Even more time was spent poring over the complex teachings of music theory for tests. I initially held a grudge against playing piano for how much time I needed to dedicate. Yet as I grew older, I developed a love for the music and appreciation for what it was and what it had taught me. I began to play not for my parents, but for myself. I enjoyed what I did, and wished to grow more both as a person and as a musician.
Coming into college I was interested in taking a music history course, having focused mainly on the theory and playing aspect of music. I decided on Music 27, an introduction to Western music. I was introduced to a new, interesting side of music such as a composer’s background or the inspiration for a piece. I really enjoyed being exposed to the many facets of music as we traveled through the ages. Near the end of the course the classes discussed recent pieces by several influential modern composers such as John Adam’s “Nixon in China” and Steve Reich’s “Different Trains”. In particular, Reich’s “Different Trains” used a unique musical tool. Reich’s signature style was minimalist approach that uses simple melodies repeated many times but adds in personal flair by using voice samples in time to the beat. This was a surprise to me who was trained in traditional classical techniques, and I was intrigued by this new kind of sound. Reich and other 21st century musicians had created a new style of music, a “revolutionary” sound that breaks away from traditions in the past.
I was surprised to revisit Reich’s music when I attended Reich’s concert in Hertz Hall this previous Saturday. I was excited to meet a composer that I had actually learned about in a music class and to experience his music live. Perhaps my biggest shock was the initial performance by Reich and Lubman, “Clapping Music”. My preconception of music was fixed around instruments, playing music, and led by a conductor. Instead, “Clapping Music” featured the simple rhythm of two clapping hands in stark contrast to the melodies I was used to. This minimalist approach made a bold statement that hands could be an instrument and clapping could be a kind of music, something that speaks to your base senses with a simple beat and tempo. I found myself tapping my foot to the rhythm while trying to follow along and saw many others doing the same. “Clapping Music” shows that music doesn’t need a complex melody or multiple instruments to be appealing.
Following “Clapping Music” was a quartet that was very obviously divided in two, both physically and musically, with each pair of piano and vibraphone playing its own offset in contrast with the other. Each pair almost seemed duel each other, with one side putting out a challenge and the other responding in kind. This performance was my favorite because I was impressed how accurate and in time the four musicians were. Normally a conductor is present to help keep time, but the quartet was able to stay together without. It was especially difficult considering how fast paced the piece was and how dissonant the melody was at times, making it difficult to follow along. The quartet continued a theme of minimalist music, but built upon the framework of “Clapping Music” by using more complex rhythms and syncopation.
The final two pieces “Runner” and “Radio Rewrite” were full ensembles where the musicians were loosely split in half with each of the sections playing the same melody one after another, similar to how “Row Row Row Your Boat” is sung. The two pieces further built on the scaffolding of basic rhythm and beat started in the first few pieces by providing complex melodies and instrumentation. In the finale, Reich’s performance brings the full circle of music creation, from the simple beat and rhythm to a full fledged piece. Reich’s minimalist style, by using just using a few instruments then slowly scaling up, sets an interesting contrast between the works. It creates interest in the process of music creation rather than just the complete product.
In my schooling for piano, I was taught within the rigid confines of classical theory, focusing mostly on the organized structures of pieces. The pieces of Mozart and Haydn were exciting and beautiful, yes, but were limited by this idea. Reich’s style helped to break me out of that mindset, that music was not limited to just piano sonatas or symphonies. Reich’s pieces utilized interesting aspects of performance from the positioning of musicians to instrumentation and performance. In comparison, musicians are normally orientated toward the audience rather than facing each other, and no classical music piece would feature hands as the premier instrument. Combined with Reich’s personal style with the use of voice recordings, unfortunately not present in this performance, this style changes what is important in music. The focus shifts to the beat and tempo, really feeling the music with repetition, rather than the actual notes played and instruments used. It places greater importance on the process of music creation rather than the actual performance itself. However, Reich’s music is not necessarily counter-cultural. Instead of a total break from the norm, it seeks to augment or alter parts of traditional music with modern qualities, thus turning it into something new. Yet perhaps this is a bit of a “revolution” by its itself, refusing to follow the norms and creating something entirely new.
