Home / Quotes / Quote by John Cage

Quote by John Cage

“After I had been studying with him for two years, Schoenberg said, ‘In order to write music, you must have a feeling for harmony.’ I explained to him that I had no feeling for harmony. He then said that I would always encounter an obstacle, that it would be as though I came to a wall through which I could not pass. I said, ‘In that case I will devote my life to beating my head against that wall.’”

Quote by John Cage

Author

John Cage

John Cage (September 5, 1912 - August 12, 1992) was an American composer, music theorist, writer, and experimental musician. Known for his unique approach to music composition and exploration of sound, Cage's works often broke the boundaries of traditional music, profoundly influencing modern music. more

“When I hear what we call music, it seems to me that someone is talking. And talking about his feelings, or about his ideas of relationships. But when I hear traffic, the sound of traffic - here on Sixth Avenue, for instance - I don’t have the feeling that anyone is talking. I have the feeling that sound is acting. And I love the activity of sound... I don’t need sound to talk to me.”

Needs Ideas Feelings Seems Sound Acting Talking Activity Instance Traffic Avenues Talk To Me

Author:John Cage

“Don't try to create and analyze at the same time. They're different processes.”

Trying Different Process

Author:John Cage

“I was shocked at college to see one hundred of my classmates in the library all reading copies of the same book. Instead of doing as they did, I went into the stacks and read the first book written by an author whose name began with Z. I received the highest grade in the class. That convinced me that the institution was not being run correctly. I left.”