Philip Glass

Discussion with Philip Glass/On his Retrospective

Philip Glass was one of the first minimalist composers I was exposed to several years ago. But when I saw him perform my senior year of highschool, it was the first time I really found myself interested in the music. I had the pleasure of seeing him in a very small and unusual setting- a one-room sanctuary shaped like a dome that fit no more than 25-30 people. The repetition in his music combined with the acoustics of the room and the somewhat religious setting made it one of the most all-encompassing atmospheres I've experienced.

The more I learned about him, the more intriguing I found his philosophies on music.  In addition, i started to see the ways he's informed by his background in science and the musical family he came from . While this brief interview with him doesn't cover much, i think it's an interesting jumping off point with a few thought-provoking points. Also, minimalism is referred to as "buddha rock" and Glass says that his music is "a little repetitive."