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Philip Glass revisits his parallel lives in 1970s New York - driving a taxicab through threatening twilight streets while emerging as a composer in Manhattan's downtown arts scene. The Philip Glass Ensemble formed in 1968 and performed in lofts, museums, art galleries and, eventually, concert halls. Two of Glass's early pieces - the long form Music In Twelve Parts and the opera Einstein on the Beach - secured his reputation as a leading voice in new music. But America's soon-to-be most successful contemporary composer continued to earn a living by driving a taxi until he was 42. "I would show up around 3pm to get a car and hopefully be out driving by 4. I wanted to get back to the garage by 1 or 2am before the bars closed, as that wasn't a good time to be driving. I'd come home and write music until 6 in the morning." Glass's new musical language - consisting of driving rhythms, gradually evolving repetitive patterns and amplified voice, organs and saxophones - reflected the urgency of the city surrounding him. New York, on the brink of financial collapse, was crime-ridden and perilous. Driving a cab offered more than a window on this gritty, late night world. Almost every other month, according to Glass, a driver colleague was murdered. Glass escaped altercations with gangs and robbers in his cab. Contributors: John Schaefer Philip Glass John Gibson Joan La Barbara Producer: Paul Smith A Just Radio production for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2015.