Reading Blog #2

I imagine how confusing it would be to witness the performance 4'33". People were probably upset and felt they didn't get their money’s worth out of this concert. It’s funny how, now that people are familiar with this work, are actually intentionally seeking out this experience as the writer in this reading did. Now the piece is considered genius to many, one described it as “an act of framing, of enclosing environmental and unintended sounds in a moment of attention in order to open the mind to the fact that all sounds are music". Cage was truly able to challenge norms at their basis, things that maybe people wondered about but never acted on because, really, it would be ridiculous. His work did not thrive in a society that put tradition on a pedestal. But Cage is far more adventurous and courageous with his work, and through all the ridicule and general dismissal of his work he continued to create. He is really quite admirable for that fact alone, and it’s a shame he isn’t around to see the community that enjoyed his work. What I didn’t realize until after reading is that he had a “controlling side” when it came to teaching. He seemed to be harsh on performers even when they followed his direction- not something I would have expected from someone who gets plenty of critiques himself. Nonetheless, he was a very controversial composer in the music industry, some enjoy his work and others strongly dislike it.