Reading Blog #2

When reflecting on reading the Searching for Silence article about John Cage’s art of noise, I thought it was very interesting how for the entire duration of his performance he made no sound. If I was a member of the audience, I personally would be very frustrated because my impatience would get ahead of me. I have a very short attention span and I always need something to direct my attention too. If I were forced to watch someone make no sound when I am expecting music, I would be very on edge and disappointed. I think it was very interesting when the article pointed out that the reasoning for resistance to avant-garde music is often explained by the fact that people feel trapped in concert halls. In museums and galleries, on the other hand, we are free to escape and move around. I find this very relatable because I always like to walk around museums at my own pace when I’m with my family and friends. When I’m at a symphony concert, however, I am confined to my seat and have no choice but to try to engage with the performance. I personally agree with John Cage’s radical notion that music could be an art form rather than a music form. This theory gives music more fluidity as a media art form rather than being restricted to one disciplinary field. I also believe that it was admirable of John Cage to not want to appeal to the masses. As a radical composer and music theorist, he was content with not staying with the status quo and starting a new conversation that all sounds are music.