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Quote by John Cage

Work

Silence: Lectures and Writings

This book presents a series of lectures and written works from John Cage, the pioneering American experimental composer renowned for his innovative approach to music and sound. The collection offers insights into Cage's artistic philosophy, his experimental methods, and his unconventional perspectives on the creative process. Through various essays and lectures, Cage discusses concepts related to silence, chance, and the boundaries of musical artistry. As one of the influential figures in twentieth-century avant-garde music, Cage challenged traditional musical conventions and explored the relationship between sound, environment, and performer. The writings reflect his engagement with Eastern philosophical ideas and his collaborative work with artists including Merce Cunningham. The book provides readers with an opportunity to understand the intellectual foundation behind Cage's groundbreaking musical compositions and his lasting impact on contemporary music and art. more

Author

John Cage
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

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“Buddha is said to have given a "silent sermon" once during which he held up a flower and gazed at it. After a while, one of those present, a monk called Mahakasyapa, began to smile. He is said to have been the only one who had understood the sermon. According to legend, that smile (that is to say, realization) was handed down by twenty-eight successive masters and much later became the origin of Zen.”

“For the emergent process, as noted by the geneticist Theodore Dobzhansky, is neither random nor determined but creative. Just as in human order, creativity is neither a rational deductive process nor the irrational wandering of the undisciplined mind but the emergence of beauty as mysterious as the blossoming of a field of daisies out of the dark Earth.”

“When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other. Difficult and easy support each other. Long and short define each other. High and low depend on each other. Before and after follow each other. Therefore the Master acts without doing anything and teaches without saying anything. Things arise and she lets them come; things disappear and she lets them go. She has but doesn't possess, acts but doesn't expect. When her work is done, she forgets it. That is why it lasts forever.”