John Cage

About a month ago one of my music major friends was complaining about a piece his class was analyzing. He said the composition was made up of total silence, and that basically the only sound meant to be heard was the conductor's blinking. I thought such a concept was odd. Just like people ask "What is art?" composers must ask each other "What is music?" Could a lack of sound create music? My friend didn't think so.

I didn't realize he was talking about John Cage until reading about his "4'33" composition. Four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence. Much like Duchamp, Cage refused to conform to notions of what music "was" and instead focused on what it could be. He stuck tools inside pianos and experimented with random noises in order to compose some of his most controversial works. "4'33" embodied his belief that any sound, even silence, can be considered music. He wasn't afraid to present his work to the elitist crowd and keep going once rejected.

"I am going toward violence rather than tenderness, hell rather than heaven, ugly rather than beautiful, impure rather than pure--because by doing these things they become transformed, and we become transformed. Unless we do these things, nothing changes."

I admire his passion for change and progress in the music world, and his ability to still stand tall even when penniless or laughed at by his own orchestra. I'm not sure I could withstand such ridicule. But then again, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't try to enter a blank canvas into an art museum and call it a masterpiece. Cage definitely had courage and a strong vision.

After reading about Cage I youtube'd some of his stuff, and here's "4'33" if anyone wants some nice white noise in the background...