Comment by gruseom
12 years ago
I think you're right. Cage's point was that silence doesn't exist. Much of his work was about denying the distinction between "music" as a predefined composition and "noise" as the other sounds going on. I remember an interview where he talked about how much he enjoyed listening to the traffic outside his apartment. It was clear that for him this was no different than listening to a musical performance; the thing that made it beautiful was the conscious attitude of the listener.
Indeed;
> I remember an interview where he talked about how much he enjoyed listening to the traffic outside his apartment.
I recall that video - here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcHnL7aS64Y
Yes! That's it. At first I wasn't sure—I must have heard a shorter excerpt or something before—but then I recognized it. The whole thing is exquisite. He is so lovely.