Happy 100 years to the great innovator John Cage! American Public Radio's Performance Today is running an observance with some of his music and some thoughts about him and his contributions.
One item that was mentioned that I found particularly interesting and endearing is that Cage liked sound. Sound is so prevalent in various forms that we miss most of it and with much being things we are used to hearing from day to day that we phase it out of our consciousness. Years ago I recall reading of an experiment that someone did in a large city, listening to the blended sounds of his current environment. After listening for a few moments he began to hear birds through the din of the traffic and other sounds came through that he had not supposed were there because they had been "drowned" out by the incessant noises of the city. Is it music? That answer can only be answered by the individual that experiences it.
One item that was mentioned that I found particularly interesting and endearing is that Cage liked sound. Sound is so prevalent in various forms that we miss most of it and with much being things we are used to hearing from day to day that we phase it out of our consciousness. Years ago I recall reading of an experiment that someone did in a large city, listening to the blended sounds of his current environment. After listening for a few moments he began to hear birds through the din of the traffic and other sounds came through that he had not supposed were there because they had been "drowned" out by the incessant noises of the city. Is it music? That answer can only be answered by the individual that experiences it.
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