 Stevens is a <unk> trained <unk> and his knowledge of classical and <unk> music influenced many of his arrangements . Stevens himself has noted the influence of composers Igor Stravinsky , <unk> <unk> , and <unk> <unk> ; along with contemporary composers Terry Riley , Steve Reich , and Philip Glass . The music on this album was written to be grandiose , to match the history of the territory . Stevens used time signature changes in the composition of Illinois for dynamic effect — for instance , " Come On ! Feel the Illinoise ! " begins with a 5 / 4 time signature and then changes to a standard 4 / 4 later in the song . 
