Future
of American Music
Lecturer:
Mr. Prof. Dr. Herzogenrath
Student:
Ahmad Deyhimi 7167063
10
Hearing Responses for the Hausarbeit
Response
to a piece of work by Cage – 4’33’’
I
had always heard much about John Cage and his contributions to American music
but never actually listened to his 4’33’’ composition. Considering how great of
a composer he is, I anticipated something exquisite when first listening to
John Cage's 4'33''. Then I quickly noticed that John Cage's 4'33'' is a musical
composition consisting of four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence.
Feeling frustrated, I wanted to shut the video but compelled myself to monitor
how it proceeded. After the piece, I tried to interpret and process it in my head.
Although frustrated at the start, later, during the music, I felt relaxed
sitting in silence and having fun listening to the surrounding noises made by
the audience. I understand that some audience members walk out in frustration,
thinking that the performance is a prank. If I were in the hall attempting to
listen to 4'33'' for the first time, I might have also walked out. However,
this specific reaction to 4'33'' reflects the complex and often contentious
relationship between traditional forms of art and experimentation in the arts
and the artist's role in challenging and expanding the boundaries of creative
expression. Even though I wanted to stop listening, I could not avoid but pay
attention to the surrounding sounds. Then the realization kicked in that Cage
intended for the sounds of the environment to become the piece's music. Therefore,
the performers were instructed not to play any notes but instead to sit in
silence for the duration of the work, allowing the sounds of the audience, the
environment, and any other sounds to be the focus. Then I could not prevent but
honor John Cage's 4'33'' as a profound and revolutionary work of art because it
challenges conventional notions of music and encourages listeners to pay
attention to the sounds of the world around them. I, for example, always hike
in nature to hear the surrounding sounds and enjoy the outdoors. My reaction at
the beginning, therefore, showcases how people are used to the traditional way
of music, where there is plenty of sounds and rhythms to dance to. Thus, the
piece is a profound philosophical statement that can be seen as the touchstone
of the avant-garde and experimental music movements.
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