Download Cage, John - Department of Physics | Oregon State

Student #42
PH 331
Composer Assignment
The Music of John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer who lived from 1912-1992. His work was more
of a modern renaissance man than an ordinary composer though, as much combined theory, writing,
and philosophy into his compositions. He is known for being one of the leading figures in avant-garde
music as many of his pieces do not follow the rules of modern compositions. He rarely uses instruments
in the way that they were traditionally intended to be used, instead his focus is how sound acts
organically without the rigid rules of traditional music composition imposed upon them. Many first time
listeners of Cage’s music find it difficult to comprehend due to it’s non-traditional and seemingly
nonsensical sound. Despite this, Cage has been recognized by many as an artist who has revolutionized
the way people interact with music and sound.
One of the main themes in Cage’s music has to do with the interplay between silence and
sound. Cage was fascinated by silence, and much of his work intentionally utilizes silence as a main
element. For example, one of his most famous works “4’33” is simply a live piece where the performer
sits in silence for a given period of time. The work is meant to highlight the ambient sounds made by
the audience, the room, or any other happenings outside of the piece itself. Cage’s idea was to highlight
the sounds heard by the audience during this time, which are not determined by the composer but by
chance instead. This piece as well as other works by Cage reflect a philosophy of indeterminacy that his
work became known for, and inspired other artists such as Brian Eno who’s “Music for Airports” used
some of the same theories of indeterminacy in ambient music.
John Cage’s studies of eastern religion and philosophy influence his music style significantly.
Cage would often use the ancient Chinese I Ching text which was traditionally used for divination to
compose works. The idea was to bring together a piece by leaving the order to chance rather than the
traditional method of composition used by other artists. Cage felt that this method reflected the natural
patterns of nature in his compositions rather than forcing his will onto a piece of music. It seems that
his main goal was usually to reflect the patterns in nature rather than imposing rules developed by man.
Though often misunderstood or controversial, John Cage has had an undeniable influence on
experimental and ambient music and modern music in general. His combination of philosophy with
music and performance art is inspiring as well since it challenges the classic idea of what music is and
opens up new insight to those willing to listen. He helped open up the western world to ideas rooted in
eastern philosophy and minimalism and continues to inspire musicians to this day.
"4'33" by John Cage
John Cage about silence
"Water Walk" by John Cage