I spoke to Steve Reich at a talk about working as a taxi driver and moonlighting as a composer and he made an interesting point. He said he was able to be a cabbie in 70s New York because there was 'more money sloshing around' but now we live in a 'tighter economy'. I greatly admire what Glass and Reich did, but I think today, in New Yor…
I spoke to Steve Reich at a talk about working as a taxi driver and moonlighting as a composer and he made an interesting point. He said he was able to be a cabbie in 70s New York because there was 'more money sloshing around' but now we live in a 'tighter economy'. I greatly admire what Glass and Reich did, but I think today, in New York certainly, they wouldn't have been able to be parents, cabbies, and moonlight as a composer. Even though what they did was heroic, what is not often enough stated is the failure of New York's classical music scene to have not incorporated and supported them much earlier. If they hadn't been so dogged, it would still be the case that every major classical movement would have originated in Europe.
I spoke to Steve Reich at a talk about working as a taxi driver and moonlighting as a composer and he made an interesting point. He said he was able to be a cabbie in 70s New York because there was 'more money sloshing around' but now we live in a 'tighter economy'. I greatly admire what Glass and Reich did, but I think today, in New York certainly, they wouldn't have been able to be parents, cabbies, and moonlight as a composer. Even though what they did was heroic, what is not often enough stated is the failure of New York's classical music scene to have not incorporated and supported them much earlier. If they hadn't been so dogged, it would still be the case that every major classical movement would have originated in Europe.
Good point.