This chapter will present Glass’s life up to the point when he composed his first stage work, Einstein on the Beach (1976). This background is not intended to be a comprehensive biography, but is designed to provide background information that is relevant to later chapters on Glass’s stage works. This section will also help illustrate the choices Glass made regarding his stage works and the reasons for these choices. Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, Glass listened to various types of music from his father’s record shop. He subsequently heard bebop jazz in New York while studying composition at Juilliard. He learned much about Indian music when living in Paris, transcribing music played by sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, whose influence led Glassto adopt cyclic elements within his own works. After returning to New York, Glass heard minimalist music by La Monte Young, Terry Riley, and Steve Reich. These experiences and influences inspired Glass to develop his own approach to composing. His style in stage composition continued to evolved, from his first stage work Einstein on the Beach (1976)to this day.