The article Searching for Silence was a very interesting look into the life and legacy of John Cage. Prior to this class, I knew little to nothing about Cage and his musical career. Upon learning more about him, I was instantly inspired to hear more of the music he composed. The idea behind "4'33" is fascinating, and I couldn't agree with the concept more. I love how "4'33" was performed at an exhibition in the forest and it allowed its viewers to just stop, for 4 minutes and 33 seconds, and just listen to the world going on around them. Many people my age can't handle silence, and instead listen to music wherever they go. The amount of people who have headphones or are talking on the phone when walking around campus always astonishes me. I thoroughly enjoy listening to my surroundings. I very very rarely even listen to music anymore, rather I just enjoy the sounds of life going on around me. The constant need for music or some sort of noise stems from the general inability of our generation to just be alone with their thoughts. I think that this idea is exactly what Cage was trying to encapsulate. To Cage, everything was music. All the little sounds that are going on around us are the music of our life. I also love how Cage challenged the norms of the music industry and didn't conform to traditional ways of using a piano, but rather created his own sound and his own music with a very traditional and classic instrument. In my next project, I am wanting to follow Cage's ideas surrounding the music around us, and convey that even in the silence there is still sound.
haileyebyrom
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