Beth Anderson is an American neo-romantic composer. She studied with John Cage, Terry Riley, Robert Ashley, and Larry Austin, among others. She was born in Lexington, Kentucky and grew up in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. She studied at the University of Kentucky, UC Davis, and Mills College.

She's best known for her swales, a musical form she invented based on collages and samples of newly composed music rather than existing music.

She's best known for her swales, a musical form she invented based on collages and samples of newly composed music rather than existing music.

Quotes:

"The idea that beauty is revolutionary is a revelation to me...I've discovered the part of my brain that can't decode anything, can't add, can't work from verbalized concepts, but that does make melodies with pitch and rhythm...beauty is enough."
"My own mystic bent leads me to believe that musical variations, collage, reiteration and process, or evolution, are beautiful. Life is worth living and beauty is worth making."