In 1970 composer Stephen Scott traveled to Ghana, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe to study music, meeting and informally studying with Steve Reich in Ghana. Influenced by the minimalist style of Reich and Terry Riley, Scott composes for the Bowed Piano Ensemble, which he founded in 1977. The ensemble includes 10 musicians, all simultaneously playing the strings of an open grand piano with tools such as mallets, guitar strings, and fingernails to create an orchestral sound. The ensemble is made up of members of the staff and faculty of Colorado College, where Scott has taught since 1969.