In this paper, I will demonstrate how the minimalist composer La Monte Young’s concept of the Dreamhouse is a classic exemplar of listening in both musical and non-musical contexts. La Monte Young’s continuous, endless electronic music is produced by sine waves at specific frequencies. It is played in a peculiar environment that features psychedelic color and light sources and what looks like neon, hovering sculptures. I will examine, with examples, how La Monte Young’s composition may be extremely difficult to listen to musically for the average person due to the lack of melodic and harmonic content but also how one can create changes in the sound experience of oneself and others in the room by displacing the air molecules with one’s
