Skip to main content

The Silent Noise of John Cage - Essay Excerpt

The Silent Noise of John Cage - Essay Excerpt
When John Cage asked Aragon, how one created history, he replied, "You have to invent it." Cage then set out to create his own musical history, that of experimentalism (Cage, Autobiographical 1). This movement included composers Morton Feldman, Pauline Oliveros, Christian Wolff, Earle Brown, and many others who, along with Cage, stretched the boundaries of music composition and broke

away from the East Coast post serialists. 

Largely because of geographical location, rock music and Oriental thought influenced experimental music. They revolted against Occidental music, embracing the plurality and percussive nature of Eastern Music. Cage believed that "IN THE UNITED STATES THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS OF WRITING AS THERE ARE COMPOSERS" (Cage, Silence 52). Cage did not study music in a formal institution and was unable to hear melodies in his head. For him, listening to a performance of his compositions and the actual composing involved two different processes. Arnold Schoenberg discouraged the young Cage, telling him, "You'll come to a wall and never be able to get through." To which Cage replied, "Then I'll spend my life knocking my head against the wall." (Cage, Autobiographical 2).
Zen Buddhism entered Cage's life after the failure of "The city wears a slouch hat".
Dejected, he fled to Seattle and taught at the Cornish School of Design, where "he tempered his worldly ambition and sought tranquility through a more modest art of acceptance." (Pritchett, Story 3). Unlike other postmodernists, who endeavored to achieve success by assimilating into popular culture, Cage fought against "THE DUALISTIC TERMS OF SUCCESS AND FAILURE OR THE BEAUTIFUL AND THE UGLY OR GOOD AND EVIL." (Cage, Silence 47).



The Eastern idea of a goal-less society left Cage to introduce a type of music that lacked a tonal center (not unlike Schoenberg's serial music ) and lacked exact rhythmic meter. As Pritchett stated, " he's following a system -- but he has no idea where he's going (Six 40). Cage rejected the evaluation of music because it defeated its overall purpose. He saw music as "processes essentially purposeless, " where "sounds are just sounds" (French 391).

Cage and his followers refused to imitate Westen composers who "write...the same piece over and over again" (Willaims 63). He decided to base his music on rhythm. Excited with the unlimited possibilities unleashed with this new concept, quickly began radical experiments in rhythm and sound. Complex mathematical patterns gave birth to micro-macrocosmic structure, in which the "large parts of a composition had the same proportion as the phrases of a single unit." (Cage, Autobiographical 2). Once he discovered this musical form at the Cornish School, he began to employ other complex mathematical theorems to music. Reactions to his music were mixed. After a performance at the Chicago Arts Club, the Chicago Daily News stated, "People call it noise--but he calls it music." In a sense, both Cage and the audience had the right idea, for Cage utilized noise and created music out of it (Pritchett, Story 20.)

Cage discovered the beauty of silence in
percussion, whether through the rustle of leaves or the footsteps at a child at play. He utilized the "power of the pause", embracing Ananda K. Coomaraswamy's belief that "the purpose of music is to sober and quiet the mind, thus making it susceptible to divine influence." (Cage, Autobiographical 1). Cage's 4'33" epitomized this quest for simplicity. The bewildered audience created the music in this piece by random coughing, shuffling of feet, or snickering as the whir of the air conditioner painted the musical context of the piece. 4'33" reached the final frontiers of silence.
This quote from Cage's book Silence states it best:
I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY AND I AM SAYING IT

----------
SOURCES:
Born, Geogina. Rationalizing Culture.
Cage, John. An Autobiography.
Cage, John. Silence.
French, Richard F., Twentieth Century Views of


Music History.
Kostelanetz, Richard. John Cage: Writer.
Otto, Allen. "Speaking to and through around and about for and against John Cage-A Musical Tribute." Percussive Notes, June 1993.
Pritchett, James. Six Views of Sonatas and Interludes. Pritchett, James. The story of John Cage's "The city wears a slouched hat"
Williams, Michael. The Early Percussion Music of John Cage. 


Like this video? 

Then you will love Composer Boot Camp 101: 
50 Exercises for Students, Educators, and Music Professionals!

The ESSENTIAL MUSIC BOOK for any serious songwriter, producer, film composer, composer, musician, educator, performer, music professional, or student.



Comments

HOTTEST POSTS!

Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 1

Feel like writing an opera is only for big name composers with big budgets? Or are you willing to take the plunge and create a work in one of the most compelling and cutting edge musical forms...an opera? Almost two years ago I embarked on the largest musical production I have created to date -  Libertaria: The Virtual Opera. After writing the award-winning Creation Oratorio and dozens of multimedia works, I wanted to combine my love of the audio and the visual into a single large scale work.  Find a Great Dramatic Story You need a strong story to write a compelling opera. Fortunately you can easily borrow from thousands of public domain works and modernize them. Think of West Side Story (just a contemporary version of Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet) .   Many great operas use Shakespeare, the Brothers Grimm , and Biblical stories, all of which include interesting characters, strong themes, and action.   Libertaria borrows heavily from messianic stories, but is se

What Skills Do You Need to Become a Songwriter?

What Skills Do You Need to Become a Songwriter?  Becoming a successful songwriter is the dream of many musicians. But knowing how to write a song , learn an instrument, and make a successful musical career can seem impossible. Well, it does take a lot of work. Not everyone that wants to be a professional musician will succeed, and many just enjoy writing songs as a fun hobby for their enjoyment.  Do I need to Sing or Play a Musical Instrument? This might seem like a simple question, but it actually has a complicated answer. Why? Some songwriters never learned a single instrument yet can come up with great lyrics and catchy melodies. Others have played piano or guitar for years or are trained singers. So what is the answer?  As a songwriter, you need to understand different aspects of the songwriting process. That doesn't mean you have to have an incredible voice or be the best guitar player on the block. What it does  mean is that you need to know music. There is no better

The Phantom of the Opera - Prague Cello Quartet

The Phantom of the Opera - Prague Cello Quartet

Free Sheet Music Download: Classical Music Flute Solo Airborn Sand by Composer Sabrina Pena Young

Free Sheet Music Download: Classical Music Flute Solo Airborn Sand by Composer Sabrina Pena Young FREE MUSIC DOWNLOAD:  http://imslp.org/wiki/Airborn_Sand_(Young,_Sabrina_Pena) Originally composed during a hurricane in South Florida . Inspired by a news reporter 's comments about "Airborne sand " whipping through her hair, the composer decided to write a work for flute that imitated the movements of sand whirling on a beach during a hurricane. It was subsequently performed at the University of South Florida in Tampa . Flute Solo Related articles Friday Freebie: Old Rugged Cross The Landing - Science fiction Robot music - Sabrina Pena Young Music Marketing Secrets: How to Use Twitter, Youtube, Social Media - S P... Quiz: Which Classical Music Era Are You? Latest iTunes 12.5 Beta Should Please Classical Music Fans After Dark - Romanian Rhapsody concert at the Limerick City Gallery of Art Russian inspiration for Clandeboye Festival The Tran

Free Classical Sheet Music and Free Opera Downloads @ Scribd

Sheet Music (Photo credit: jayneandd ) Awhile ago I decided that I would upload the bulk of my music scores and sheet music to sites like Scribd, the Petrucci Music Library , and Archive.org for free sheet music downloads. Some musicians told me that it was ridiculous to give away my music. The truth is that I don't depend on music publishing sales of my scores, and I would rather inspire a young piano student, percussion ensemble, opera singer, grandma, bored music student, or music teacher to play and study my music than hold on tight to my copyrights and let my music scores collect virtual dust on my hard drive.  The Petrucci Library, Scribd, and Archive.org all have dozens of free music scores available for choir, vocal solos, piano, percussion, orchestra, opera, multimedia works, and more. You can see a short list of available free sheet music by checking out the Scores page. You might want to check out scores to my modern opera Libertaria: The Virtual Opera , an ex

Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 2

Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 2 After the incredibly positive feedback that I had from Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 1 , I thought I would talk a little bit about the composition angle of writing, at least how I do it in regards to vocal music . Here's a quick primer for anyone learning some of the basics of writing vocal music for opera, musicals, classical music , etc.  1. The Sketch I have had several great teachers in my life - Dr. Clare Shore , Hilton Jones, Dr. Kristine Burns, Paul Reller , Dr. Frederick Kaufman, Dr. Orlando Garcia, Chuck Owen, etc. My composition prof (and USF SYCOM guru) Paul Reller helped me develop the composition technique that I have had for years.  Download the Libertaria: The Virtual Opera Soundtrack at iTunes When I have the time to go through the entire composition process (because sometimes I have to skip a step or two for deadlines), I will start out with pencil, paper, and a piano (or keyboard, in my case).

How to Write Film Music in 5 Easy Steps

How to Write Film Music in 5 Easy Steps How to write film music in five simple steps for any composer. Thanks for checking out this video! Subscribe for more great content! Like this? Then check out AMAZON BESTSELLER Composer Boot Camp 101, a comprehensive guide to songwriting, composition, and film music with 50 exercises for students, educators, and music professionals! DOWNLOAD TODAY

FREE MOVIE Spiritus : Science Fiction Animation | Sabrina Young Film

In this visually compelling animated sci-fi film by Buffalo filmmaker Sabrina Young, a neurotic janitor hitchhikers her way to the dying exoplanet Spiritus to escape the truth of her past in this visually stunning animated machinima film by award-winning Cuban American Director and Composer Sabrina Peña Young. Thrown into the Asylum by her parents after a violent incident, Eleora longs to join the SpaceX crew to journey to Spiritus. Captain Reginald Hunter, a loser playboy, will do anything to stop her from finding the mysterious Ancient alien seer who calls to her light-years away. Created using a combination of original watercolor paintings created by the director's 8-year-old daughter and video-game inspired machinima, and accompanied by Young's riveting electronica Stranger Things inspired soundtrack, Spiritus promises to take the audience to an unforgettable fantasy adventure. Nominated for Best Animation at the Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival 2019. Directed