Music Listening Assignment: Riley, Chowning, Reich and Xenakis

Terry Riley - In C 

My initial thought on this song was that it sounded like something out of a horror movie which I enjoyed. However after six minutes the song had me a little annoyed, between the abundance of different instruments to the different pitches. I feel like to many things were going on at once,

John Chowning - Stria

I really like the ambiance and eerie feeling it gave, along with the cover. To me it sort of resembles a broken seed with blood coming out of it. Personally I love horror movies and the music that coms with them, hence the reason as to why I enjoyed this one the most. Cause it sounded like something out of a John Carpenter movie.

Steve Reich - Come Out

Confusion seemed to be the first reaction I had with this piece. When listening to the song I thought that I had clicked the wrong video or a troll one because it just kept replaying “come out”. Only to find out that, that’s how the song is suppose to go. I didn't enjoy this one and I was left very confused. I didn’t feel like that this song was technically music, because its so different from what we listen to now. I even googled the definition of music just to clarify it with myself: Music - vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.”

To me I didn't hear a beat, harmony, emotion or any beauty in it, but I know someone else may find that stuff in this piece. Even with that, i don't wonder it a song, but more of a piece? It just really isn't for me.

Iannis Xenakis - Concret PH

My least favorite of all the music we have listened to in this class thus far. It just sounds like a bunch glass object shattering on the ground or hail if you lower the volume enough, needless to say this really hurt my ears. I felt the same way about this as I did with Steve Reich’s “Come Out”. Its more of a piece than it is music and I just cant find the beauty in it as others will.