Today is the day we expand your musical vocabulary. Don’t be scared, though. Asking somebody to expand their musical palette is like asking them to try one of those gross gourmet foods like foie gras. (Beauty and succulent taste is in the eye of the beholder, right?)
You may have never heard of minimalism and if you have and later heard the music, you may have listened for a few minutes, fell asleep, and woke up after the piece was over.
Baroque music has its own style and sound just like Romantic or Impressionist music. These were each a style along the historic timeline and like most musical styles throughout history, minimalist music took its cue from the visual art world. Right about the time of World War II, this style of art emerged. History is full of instances where art of a certain period is a response to a style before it. Minimalism came about because the music of the early 20th century become complicated, noisy, and not very pleasing to the ear. (If you ask some of these minimalist composers. You may disagree with their opinion.)
Its roots are less than grand. This style is said to have come about in San Francisco by small groups of composers playing in lofts in the 1960s. It was considered experimental music and at the time, those composers probably didn’t have any idea that this new style would become an artistic mainstay. They felt that music needed to be easy to listen to and comprehend. The old adage that less is more rings true with minimalist music but much of it, especially the recent compositions, are quite grand.
Now that you know some of the history, before you run out and find some minimalist music, keep in mind that early minimalist and later minimalist are different. In fact, the more modern minimalist composers reject the label, “minimalist.”
Possibly one of the most famous composers adopting this style is Phillip Glass. His music may be simple but it is also very clear. The way he intertwines different motives and accompaniments makes for a beautiful kaleidoscope of sounds and colors. One of his more contemporary works, a film score to the movie, “The Hours” is well worth a listener’s time.
Another minimalist, John Adams has numerous well known orchestral pieces which sound very minimalist but to say they are simple would not be accurate. One of his famous pieces, “A Short Ride in a Fast Machine” is an exploration in musical math where a single wood block keeps a consistent pulse throughout the piece while motives weave around it. Even the most accomplished musicians have a tough time figuring out how these motives mathematically fit with this never-changing woodblock. It’s an incredible work that is a must for anybody exploring minimalist music.
If you haven’t listened to Minimalist music or you listened at one time and didn’t care for it, give it another chance. You probably didn’t find the right composer if you didn’t like it the first time around. Although some of it can come across as a bit boring to some, other pieces in this genre are loud, big, and exciting.

For more on music styles click here: https://www.playpiano.com/wordpress/piano-arranging/10-piano-styles-you-can-learn-to-play