The idea of John Cage is one that seems simple at first: a man wants to be contrarian to such a fault that he inadvertently forces society to think differently about music. On my first exposure to Cage this is what I initially thought. How could a man who doesn't play a single note for 4 minutes and thirty-three seconds, mutilates pianos, and shoves radios off of desks for that exact thumping sound be hailed as one of the most forward-thinking and prophetic musicians of the past century? The notion of a performer such as Cage without proper introduction to the man will undoubtedly be one of confusion and frustration.
For me, my acceptance of Cage as the root for an entirely different movement of music came from learning more about the man himself. On the surface level, many of Cage's more experimental pieces lend themselves as a grift, a satire of music and a mockery of the paying audiences precious time. But learning about the man and how he lived, you realize that every piece he created was made with love and presented to unknowing audiences with passion. Cage never made enough money to be considered wealthy and rode the poverty line throughout his early and later years, making most of his money from endeavors outside of music. Yet Cage always persisted as a musician. Receiving cries of outrage and disgust from his audience, peers and critics alike, he never changed, not once. Cage was no stranger to the ire of his audiences, but it didn't matter. No matter how many people Cage offended with his music, he stayed his course and continued to compose pieces that disintegrated traditional thought and sparked meaningful conversations about the true nature of music that are still being referenced today. Cage on the surface is a man putting on a facade to be different for the sake of being different, but when you break past the surface, the facade melts away and you realize that you are seeing the man as he is and always will be.
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