November 4: John Adams - Shaker Loops From Wikipedia: Shaker Loops is a 1978 composition by American composer John Adams, originally written for string septet. The work is in four movements. I. Shaking and Trembling II. Hymning Slews III. Loops and Verses IV. A Final Shaking History Edit Shaker Loops began as a piece called 'Wavemaker' in which Adams tried to emulate the ripple effect of bodies of water in his music. The piece was a commercial failure, but Adams kept the idea of repeating loops of oscillations on string instruments. He retitled the piece 'Shaker Loops,' both because of the 'shaking' of the strings as they oscillate between notes and the idea Adams had of Shakers dancing to repetitive, energetic music. For more info about my daily November listening posts, visit http://www.starrmusicacademy.com/blog/november-listening-calendar
