One of the pioneers of minimalist music, Steve Reich, was born on October 3, 1936 in New York City. Along with Philip Glass, Reich transformed the direction of contemporary music from the 1960s onward. His music can sound extremely simple at first, but small rhythmic or harmonic changes accumulate and produce striking transformations. Reich initially studied philosophy, graduating from Cornell in 1957, before turning decisively toward composition. He subsequently studied with Luciano Berio and Darius Milhaud. "All great music is contemporary. If it's still alive and kicking, then it's contemporary. If it fades away, it was a period piece." “We loved Stravinsky and Bartók and jazz – and were appreciating Bob Dylan and listening to African and Indian music.” Here describing the broad musical world from which his minimalist language emerged.