La Monte Young Quotes

A collection of quotes by La Monte Young.

La Monte Young is a highly influential American avant-garde composer and musician best known for his contributions to the minimalist music movement of the 20th century. Born on October 14, 1935, in Bern, Idaho, he began his musical journey with piano lessons at a young age. Young's studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, brought him closer to experimental music trends and the influential figures of the time.

In the early 1960s, he moved to New York City, where he became associated with the Fluxus movement and other like-minded artists. Young's compositions often featured sustained tones, drones, and microtonal practices, seeking to explore the limits of perception and the nature of sound itself. He engaged in lengthy performances, pushing the boundaries of time and challenging conventional notions of musical structure.

One of his notable works is "The Well-Tuned Piano," a mammoth composition that continues to evolve over many hours of performance. Structured around just intonation tuning systems and intricate melodic patterns, it remains one of the longest solo piano pieces ever composed. Young's musical philosophy greatly influenced subsequent generations of composers and artists, including his collaborations with figures like Terry Riley and Marian Zazeela.

La Monte Young's innovative approach to music has left an indelible mark on contemporary classical and experimental music. Through his exploratory compositions and radical ideas, he has significantly contributed to the evolution of minimalist and avant-garde music, etching his name among the prominent pioneers of 20th-century musical experimentation.