Today in our music class we reviewed some of the works of John Cage. Before I get into a discussion about what I think about his music, I want to say that Classical Music can be very inspiring. I have found that music can have soothing effect on my mood an habits. For example, every Sunday my family (and now me at BYU) puts on Mormon Tabernacle Choir to get that spiritual feeling. It inspires me to think about Jesus and anything good. It is amazing how certain melodies can influence our thinking.
Now, about John Cage. In my music class, we are studying about a man who composed everything that had never been thought of before. That seems a little ambiguous but let me explain. This John Cage is a composer that uses sounds to make music. He has gone against the normal habit of instruments and choirs to create a non-melodic symphony. He just bangs stuff and hits stuff for a couple of minutes until he feels like stopping. He composed a symphony consisting of 4:00 minutes of pure silence. Can you believe that? Well I couldn't until I thought about it more. The Cage philosophy is that everything is music. All the sounds around us make up a symphony.
Many critics hate the work of John Cage, they call him a phony and a scam artist. Making people pay for concerts where there is no "real music." After fighting my initial reaction I began to think that what John Cage was doing was quite innovative. It fights all the assumptions of music and creates something totally unexpected. Although his music may not be my first choice on an iTunes playlist, I think that what he has done is admirable. Going against the grain is the only way that the human race has moved forward anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment