I live near the beach, and since moving away to boarding school, I've made it a habit to spend 5-10 minutes each day simply listening to the sounds around me whenever I'm home. It's incredibly peaceful, allowing me to focus on the present moment without dwelling on specific thoughts.
This practice reminds me of Muzijevic's performance in the woods. He recognized that we have limited control over the sounds we encounter, encouraging us to appreciate the beauty and purpose of naturally occurring sounds.
Muzijević's exploration of sound in the natural environment aligns perfectly with this concept. Just like him, I believe that by actively listening to the sounds around us, we can unlock a deeper appreciation for the world's inherent music. John Cage's work pushes this concept even further, dismantling traditional notions of music and encouraging open-mindedness.
I believe John Cage aimed for something similar – he wanted listeners to find music in unexpected places, much like how we interpret modern art. His work's importance lies in the audience's initial reception and evolving reactions. He anticipated that people would dislike and misunderstand his work, but eventually, appreciation would grow. The article highlights this with the line: 'Some poked their heads into the room, shrugged, and moved on. Others seemed transfixed.' This demonstrates the starkly divided reactions."
I think the best way to summarize cage’s interpretation of the world & music, is his quote on the noise surrounding his NYC appartment; ‘Why do you always play the same piece over and over?… They never do that on Sixth Avenue.” I think this is quite a humoristic way to really underspend cages appreciation of the sound of the city, & the natural composition of this in controlled & uncontrolled settings.
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