When reading the article on "Searching for Silence," I was struck by its portrayal of music being encompassed within all sounds, and the ways in which our perceptions of music deny us the ability to appreciate the harmony and music present in the world around us.
Looking at the image to the left and below, it is impossible to deny the sheer amount of noise that is present at any given time. I feel that the largely negative reaction towards Cage's piece is ultimately reflective of a limited scope of what is considered to sound pretty, and the fear of being left alone with our own thoughts.
The article argues that a large part of this is due to classical music theory's dismissal of Cage's "4'33" and how "the simplest explanation for the resistance to avant-garde music is that human ears have a catlike vulnerability to unfamiliar sounds."
I also found it interesting that Cage was interested in art and architecture before settling on a music career, as I feel that this is particularly evident in his creations. For instance, his piano piece where nails have been placed inside is not only partially an architectural work through the piano's restructuring, but it also serves as an art piece and music due to drastically varying and contrasting sounds creating dichotomies between the traditional and the new (and oftentimes intimidating).
For me personally, I found this article and the information it provided about John Cage and his career to be a fascinating examination of what constitutes art, and the intrinsic meaning that we attribute to art - and those intrinsic values that we choose to ignore.
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