John Cage made a name for himself after pushing against the norms of what music and sound were known to be. His famous line "There is no much thing as silence" rings true to how he approached his technique of creating sound. Sound can come from anything, and music does not have to be a series of notes strung together to create a cohesive piece. His work pushed the boundaries of what was considered sound, but this caused a lot of push back and hate from the public. When 4'33 was first played it was seen as "stupid" because people were not used to this unique way of presenting sound which cause many to be uncomfortable or even angry. Even with the backlash, Cage was not seeking the public’s approval for his work, but he creates what he wanted and nothing more. Cage became a leader in not only music scene but also in visual art and how art can be presented in unconventional ways. Cage's idol was Marcel Duchamp who was also a leader in expanding the ideas and boundaries of visual art and how it is perceived. Both Duchamp and Cage thought outside the box and changed the narrative of music and art making. Cage's demeanor was also very unique he was stubborn, frank, kind and sometimes even angry. His younger years can be attributed to some of his works and his love of silence. He enjoyed the unharmonious nature of music and the way it can be created through many different forms through unconventional techniques to create something fresh and never seen before. He used found objects to create music similar to how artist use found materials to create modern artwork. He took a minimalist approach to his work while also having it sound free and unconstrained without a harmonious base.
- Nori C
