Born in Colfax, California, United States, Riley studied at Shasta College, San Francisco State University, and the San Francisco Conservatory before earning an MA in composition at the University of California, Berkeley, studying with Seymour Shifrin and Robert Erickson. He was involved in the experimental San Francisco Tape Music Center working with Morton Subotnick, Steve Reich, Pauline Oliveros, and Ramon Sender. His most influential teacher, however, was Pandit Pran Nath (1918-1996), a master of Indian classical voice, who also taught La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela. Riley made numerous trips to India over the course of their association to study and to accompany him on tabla, tambura, and voice. Throughout the 1960s he traveled frequently around Europe as well, taking in musical influences and supporting himself by playing in piano bars, until he joined the Mills College faculty in 1971 to teach Indian classical music. Riley was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Music at Chapman University in 2007.
While his early endeavours were influenced by Karlheinz Stockhausen, Riley changed direction after first encountering La Monte Young, in whose Theater of Eternal Music he later performed from 1965-66. The String Quartet (1960) was Riley's first work in this new style; it was followed shortly after by a string trio, in which he first employed the repetitive short phrases that he (and minimalism) are now known for.
His music is usually based on improvising through a series of modal figures of different lengths, such as in In C and the Keyboard Studies. In C (1964) is probably Riley's best-known work and one that brought the minimalist music movement to prominence. Its first performance was given by Steve Reich, Jon Gibson, Pauline Oliveros, and Morton Subotnick, among others, and it has influenced their work and that of many others, including John Adams, Roberto Carnevale, and Philip Glass. Its form was an innovation: the piece consists of 53 separate modules of roughly one measure apiece, each containing a different musical pattern but each, as the title implies, in C. One performer beats a steady pulse of Cs on the piano to keep tempo. The others, in any number and on any instrument, perform these musical modules following a few loose guidelines, with the different musical modules interlocking in various ways as time goes on. The Keyboard Studies are similarly structured – a single-performer version of the same concept.
In the 1950s he was already working with tape loops, a technology then in its infancy, and he has continued manipulating tapes to musical effect, both in the studio and in live performance, throughout his career. He has composed in just intonation as well as microtonal pieces.
Riley's collaborators include the Rova Saxophone Quartet, Pauline Oliveros, and, as mentioned, the Kronos Quartet.
He has also had a notable collaboration with Beat poet Michael McClure, with whom he has released several CDs and most recently contributed music to a London revival of his play The Beard.
A Rainbow In Curved Air inspired Pete Townshend's synthesizer parts on The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Riley", the latter named in tribute to Riley as well as to Meher Baba.
Also during the 1960s were the famous "All-Night Concerts", during which Riley performed mostly improvised music from evening until sunrise, using an old organ harmonium ("with a vacuum cleaner motor blower blowing into the ballasts") and tape-delayed saxophone. When he finally wanted a break, after hours of playing, he played back looped saxophone fragments recorded throughout the evening. For several years he continued to put on these concerts, to which people came with sleeping bags, hammocks, and their whole families.
Riley began his long-lasting association with the Kronos Quartet by meeting its founder, David Harrington, while at Mills. Over the course of his career Riley has composed 13 string quartets for the ensemble, in addition to other works. He wrote his first orchestral piece, Jade Palace, in 1991, and has continued to pursue that avenue, with several commissioned orchestral compositions following. Riley is also currently performing and teaching both as an Indian raga vocalist and as a solo pianist.
Official website: http://www.terryriley.net
Embroidery
Terry Riley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Struggling to find
Just a little bit more
Trying to provide
Barely getting by
Could be right next door
No one should be left alone in the dark
I know we can make the world better
If we come together
You gotta believe that
We can change the outcome
If we join in
Reach out a hand
All it takes is someone
Stepping forward and making a stand
You and I is where it starts
You and I can be a part
Feed a soul, Fill a heart
Feed a soul, fill a heart
You feel like giving up
Doubts are growing but you
Gotta keep on somehow
Hear the sound of hope
Let everybody know
We have the power to turn this around
No one should be left alone in the dark
With love, fill a broken heart
I know we can make the world better
If we come together
You gotta believe that
We can change the outcome
If we join in
Reach out a hand
All it takes is someone
Stepping forward and making a stand
You and I is where it starts
You and I can be a part
Feed a soul, fill a heart
Feed a soul, fill a heart
Hear the sound of hope
Let everybody know
(Let everybody know)
We can change the outcome
If we join in
So reach out a hand
All it takes is someone
Stepping forward, so let's make a stand
We can change the outcome
If we join in
And reach out a hand (won't you?)
All it takes is someone
Stepping forward and making a stand
You and I is where it starts (feed a soul, fill a heart)
You and I can be a part (feed a soul, fill a heart)
No need to look very far
Right here is where it starts (feed a soul, fill a heart)
Feed a soul, fill a heart
The song "Embroidery" by Terry Riley speaks about the struggles of daily life and the importance of relying on each other to make the world a better place. The lyrics suggest that everyone has their own battles, but by coming together, we can make a difference. The song encourages people to help one another and act with kindness, even if it is just a small gesture, such as filling someone's heart or feeding their soul. The repetition of the lyrics "feed a soul, fill a heart" emphasizes the importance of supporting others and the power of human connection.
The lyrics suggest that it's essential to recognize people's struggles and not leave anyone alone in the dark. The song promotes the idea that we can all contribute to making the world a better place by reaching out and supporting one another. It also emphasizes the idea that we should never give up, even when times get tough. By hearing the sound of hope and believing in ourselves and others, we can create positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
There so many lives
There are countless people all around us
Struggling to find
Who are facing difficulties
Just a little bit more
And could use a small amount of help
Trying to provide
But are striving to provide for themselves and their loved ones
Barely getting by
Despite their hard work, they are still struggling to make ends meet
Could be right next door
These people could be living right in our own communities
No one should be left alone in the dark
Everyone deserves to have someone who cares for them
With love, fill a broken heart
We can help heal people's emotional pains by showing them love and support
I know we can make the world better
We have the power to make positive changes
If we come together
By working together as a community
You gotta believe that
Having faith in ourselves is essential in achieving our goals
We can change the outcome
We have the power to change the course of events
If we join in
By collaborating with each other
Reach out a hand
Helping others in need
All it takes is someone
Any one person can make a difference
Stepping forward and making a stand
Being brave and taking action is necessary in making change
You and I is where it starts
The work starts with each individual
You and I can be a part
We all have the ability to contribute to the cause
Feed a soul, Fill a heart
By providing basic needs and emotional support, we can better society
You feel like giving up
When things get tough and it seems hopeless
Doubts are growing but you
We begin to second guess ourselves
Gotta keep on somehow
Persisting through challenges is the only way to achieve success
Hear the sound of hope
Keeping a positive outlook can bring light to dark situations
Let everybody know
Sharing positivity spreads hope and inspiration
We have the power to turn this around
Believing in ourselves and our ability to make change is crucial
No need to look very far
There are plenty of people around us who need help
Right here is where it starts
The change starts within our own communities
Contributed by Ava B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jacksonfritts2988
Terry Riley’s vocals are sublime. Some of the best I’ve heard actually. It satisfies me completely.
@SiddhanthShetty92
What a legend.
@zillibobbles4367
The most amazing sound of every heard
@lenbonbon
Never had a chance to leave the ground like this before.
@egorshapurov805
listen to some sensible ragas - they took from there, and IMO the originals were even better sometimes (especially in the beginning of XX century if you can get the records somewhere)
@anujpartihar
@@egorshapurov805 Wait could you be a little clear, is the music from somewhere else? Or the lyrics? Where did they take it from? Tell me everything please.
@egorshapurov805
@@anujpartihar it's Indian classical music with Western performers and Western instruments
@egorshapurov805
and with all due respect to Terry, the originals are sometimes much better
@anujpartihar
@@egorshapurov805 He took ideas from Indian classical music and did his own thing, I think it's absurd to be comparing them as if they're competing with each other.
@pyruvicac.id_
he keeps on amazing me