Presentation: John Cage

 

John Cage, circa 1986.


I have never considered silence as much as before I started researching this man. More than even his connections to McLuhan, I found myself wanting to write about silence in John Cage's works and how deeply important it is to his art. I am often told when performing solo music to "take more time" or allow myself time to breathe and time for the music to breathe. In orchestra rehearsals, sometimes we are told to make the silences as exciting as the sounds, if it fits the character of the piece. However, I have never taken it to the level of Cage. It inspires me to seek silence out in music, and play around with it too. I don't think I could be as brave about it as him, but I think I would learn a lot from the attempt alone.

I did also find joy in reading about Cage's life and work and thinking about his connections to McLuhan. His artistic sensibilities are somewhat unfathomable to me, for the reasons mentioned above, but he seems like someone I would have connected with on a personal level. His history of travel and his wide field of inspiration are things I aspire to have as well. In general, it was great fun to learn more about this very important figure in the music world, which, might I add, none of my music theory courses ever taught me about. I hope my audience also enjoyed learning about him.


Photo credit: Hartmann, Erich. Photograph. American composer John CAGE. ARTstor, library.artstor.org/asset/AMAGNUMIG_10311520476. 1986. 7 November 2021.

Comments

  1. Jessie AronsNovember 10, 2021 at 10:08 AM

    You did such a great job on your presentation! It was so interesting to learn more about John Cage and how he relates to McLuhan. I agree, I haven't much thought about silence before, but hearing you speak about it got me really thinking.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ethan SwansonNovember 11, 2021 at 11:19 PM

    Your presentation was great. I also think it's funny that he was so bad at harmony and a lot of things composer are "supposed" to be good at. Maybe this is what made him so amazing in the avant-garde sense.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Zhi LiNovember 17, 2021 at 8:07 AM

    Not only in music, I think learning to appreciate silence in everyday life is a subject we could explore

    ReplyDelete
  4. BruceFebruary 6, 2022 at 6:22 PM

    I am sorry I didn't get to see your presentation. I'm sure I would have enjoyed it.
    As a practitioner of psychotherapy, silence is a powerful tool on many levels. It draws out those thoughts and emotions often just below awareness, or those chosen to be hidden, or those needing to be seen and heard. On a more personal note, and as an acknowledged introvert, silence is a salve for the soul and a necessary part of one's well-being (in my humble opinion).

    ReplyDelete

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