Toyota Symphonies for Youth A Journey Through Minimalism

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL About the Composers

JOHN ADAMS PHILIP GLASS

Born 1947 Born 1937 Worcester, Massachusetts Baltimore, Maryland

Raised in New England, John Adams began composing at the Philip Glass studied at Juilliard, but further study with Nadia age of 10 and studied at Harvard. He decided early in his career Boulanger and Ravi Shankar in Paris inspired him to make a de- to break with the modernist style common in Europe and U.S. cisive stylistic break, and, in the mid-1960s, he began composing academia after the mid-20th century, launching a vigorous in a pared-down idiom of simple harmony and rhythmic cycles. exploration of Minimalism infused with American vernacular He has developed this into a readily recognizable personal style influences. Adams’ later music expands these elements with long capable of great power and color. He has composed in many lines, counterpoint, and his “earbox” technique of moving scales forms but is most identified with theatrical and ceremonial and modes. He has won many awards, including three Grammys® works, ranging from film scores and operas to the opening and and the Pulitzer Prize. Adams is also an important conductor closing music for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The LA Phil and is the Creative Chair for the LA Phil, with which he has been first presented Glass and his ensemble in 1982 and has since closely associated for many years. commissioned several major works from him.

ARVO PÄRT STEVE REICH

Born 1935 Born 1936 Paide, Estonia New York City, New York

As a young musician, Arvo Pärt supported himself as a record- Steve Reich studied drumming with Roland Kohloff, principal ing engineer for Estonian Radio and composed over 50 film timpanist of the New York Philharmonic, and later composition scores. After graduating from the Tallinn Conservatory, he began at Juilliard and Mills College. His other influences range from developing serial techniques through independent study. After John Coltrane to Ghanaian drumming and Balinese gamelan a period of stylistic crisis and further study of early music, Pärt music, resulting in lively, pulse-oriented music of great color. emerged in the mid-’70s with his own distinctive “tintinnabu- The scope of his music ranges from the sound of clapping hands lation” style of bell-like, triadic Minimalism. Neither tintinnabu- to full-length multimedia theater pieces. The LA Phil first pre- lation nor the explicit Christian texts he frequently set to music sented Reich’s music in January 1983, when William Kraft led endeared Pärt to Soviet-era cultural authorities, and, in 1980, he the New Music Group in an evening devoted to Reich’s works, emigrated to the West. The LA Phil commissioned and recorded with the composer himself playing percussion in his ground- his Symphony No. 4, Los Angeles. breaking Drumming.

6 Minimalism has the word “mini” in it, which means small. What is Minimalist Minimalist music is about small things like a simple pattern, rhythm, or melody. An easier way to understand minimalism Music? is to compare it to something that you are already familiar with — clouds.

HAVE YOU EVER REALLY LOOKED AT CLOUDS IN THE SKY?

At first, the clouds may look a bit similar. If you look at them long enough, you may find that the simplest things can sometimes lead you into a whole world of discovery. Minimalist music is similar. It may sound simple at first, but when you listen closely, you’ll hear how minimalist composers create a whole world of music from simple ideas and sounds.

PATTERN & CHANGE

The shapes of clouds transform into Minimalist music uses lots of patterns that other shapes—in other words, the patterns repeat. Patterns change, sometimes slowly and slowly change. sometimes fast, into other patterns.

RHYTHM

Many patterns have different rhythms, Some clouds move faster than so you’ll hear multiple patterns happening others — they have different rhythms. at the same time.

TEXTURES

Music can be heavy, or it can be light. Some clouds are thicker while This is similar to clouds — some are big other clouds are thinner — they have and thick, and some are light and airy. different textures. Music has different textures.

COLOR

Each instrument has its own unique sound. The sky is like a backdrop for the clouds. Sound can be like color. In minimalist Sometimes it is bright blue. Other times, it is music, the patterns played by different gloomy and gray. The sky creates color. instruments create a range of colors.

7 Now that you have learned about minimalism, it’s your turn Be a Minimalist to compose! Use this activity to write your own minimalist Composer piece of music for body percussion. Make sure to give your piece a name. You could name your piece after a friend or a pet, or you could use a more tradi- tional title like “Concerto for Body Percussion No. 1.”

1. Get to know your sound palette

For this piece, we will use four different body percussion sounds. In your written piece, they will be Clap Stomp Knee Slap Rest represented by these shapes: (Silent Beat)

2. Create three patterns PATTERN A

Minimalist music starts with patterns. Create three patterns in the spaces to the right. Each pattern should have four sounds. You can repeat or combine the sounds in any way you like. PATTERN B

Example A pattern could be four knee slaps in a row. PATTERN C

A different pattern could be two claps, a stomp, and a rest.

8 3. Place your patterns into Patterns are not patterns unless they repeat. Decide how many times your piece to compose to play each pattern.

PATTERN A PATTERN B PATTERN C times times times

Using the lines below, write your patterns in the number of repeti- tions you decided above. Just like with written words, music is writ- ten from the left to right. When you fill up the first line, continue your piece on the next line.

Practice your piece and then perform it for your family and friends! Take a video recording of your piece and have an adult post it on social media with the hashtag #laphil.

COMPOSITION TITLE COMPOSER NAME

9 SometimesSometSometimimeess knownk knnoownwn asa ass kettledrums,k ketetttledledrruumms,s, timpanitim timppaniani area arree drumsd drruummss in in MuMucchh li likkee i tists m muussicicalal c coouussin,in, mi minnimimalalisistt v visisualual a arrtt o oftfetenn AnatomyAAnnaattoommyy ofof thetthehe percussionpe perrccuusssionsion family.f amilfamilyy. .A A standards sttananddaarrdd sets setet includesi ninccludludeess four4 4 t timim timpanippaanni iof of MMiinniimmalaliisstt uusesess only only a a f efeww s simpleimple p patatteterrnnss, ,c cololoorrss or or s shhapapeess t oto c crreeaatete a Timpani of slightly different sizes. Timpani players — ttiormpimp timpanistsaannisisttss – – in in— Coloring aa b beeaauutitifulful i mimaaggee. .T Trryy c coloroloriningg i nin t hthisis p paaggee w witihth o onnlyly t hthrreeee ofa TTimpaniimpani oinor rcorchestraschheessttrraass u us suallyusuallyually s specpec specializeialiializzee in in inonly only playing tim timpp aonlyanni ip p ltimpani.alayiyinng.g. Coloring ccololoorrss or or l elesss. .

ExploExplorree t thhisis d diaiaggrramam t oto l eleaarrnn mo morree SoundSound is is created created when when the the head head of of the the drum drum is is struck struck about how timpani are played. withwith a a mallet. mallet. Mallets Mallets with with a a soft soft head head make make a a mu
ed mu
ed about how timpani are played. Tip:Tip: If If you you are are using using colored colored pencil pencil or or crayon, crayon, you you sound, while a harder head will make a sharper sound. sound, while a harder head will make a sharper sound. cancan create create variety variety with with only only one one color color by by shading shading lightlylightly in in some some sections sections and and heavily heavily in in others. others.

TheThe timpanist timpanist is is a a leader leader in in the the orchestra. orchestra. MalletsMallets HeHe or or she she is is like like a a “bus “bus driver” driver” of of the the tempo tempo andand groove groove of of a a piece! piece!

HeadHead

HoopHoop

TuningTuning Bolt Bolt

PointerPointer KettleKettle AdjustmentAdjustment

TuningTuning Indicator Indicator

TheThe timpanist timpanist sits sits on on a a stool stool with with thethe drums drums in in front front of of him him or or her her in in aa semi-circle. semi-circle.

BaseBase

PedalPedal LargeLarge Caster Caster

10 1133 Sometimes known as kettledrums, timpani are drums in MuchMuch like like its its musical musical cousin, cousin, minimalist minimalis tvisual visual art ar toften often uses Anatomy of the percussion family. A standard set includes 4 timpani of MinimalistMinimalist onlyuse sa only few simplea few s ipatterns,mple pat tcolors,erns, c oloro shapesrs or sh toap ecreates to c rae ate timpanists – in beautifula beauti fimage.ul imag Trye. T rcoloringy colori ning thisin th pageis pa gwithe w itonlyh on threely thr ee a Timpani orchestras usually specialize in only timpani playing. ColoringColoring colorscolors or or fewer. less.

Explore this diagram to learn more Sound is created when the head of the drum is struck with a mallet. Mallets with a soft head make a mu
ed about how timpani are played. Tip: If you are using colored pencil or crayon, you sound, while a harder head will make a sharper sound. can create variety with only one color by shading lightly in some sections and heavily in others.

The timpanist is a leader in the orchestra. Mallets He or she is like a “bus driver” of the tempo and groove of a piece!

Head

Hoop

Tuning Bolt

Pointer Kettle Adjustment

Tuning Indicator

The timpanist sits on a stool with the drums in front of him or her in a semi-circle.

Base

Pedal Large Caster

1113 GLASS MUSIC ART TEXTURE Word Search REICH MINIMALISM PATTERN COLOR ADAMS PERCUSSION COMPOSER MELODY PÄRT CONCERTO LISTEN REST TIMPANI ORCHESTRA RHYTHM PHILHARMONIC

X Z U Q M M N R O L I S T E N T R Ä P S A A H O R T N J L T K Z X F I R Y Y J Y B N H C W S A Q J L T H T T D B P I Z Y U T B H A S A H F J N N F D P I S H G M E S M P G O H O E Z N R A T I H H K W M C L R R G A E F B N C E N R I E C B L B P S A R I R U A S M U H A C B M O D E M O H U B S P S P O R I P A I P L M D S R S S R L L T M M C I C X I A E A K A O E D O S H T X O J E S S H V R W O C P I Z N P A T T E R N M T E R U T X E T C O N C E R T O

12