John Cage claims that “There is no such thing as silence” in his work because you could always hear different things. John Cage played a significant role in the art world. Cage was eager to try new things related to music. Cage sparked controversy and change in the art and music world and questioned that music could be an art form. Cage also paved the way for a new category: minimalism. 4’33” forced people to reconsider what music is and what it can be.
One of Cage’s inspirations for the piece and how he always had a passion for silence. Cage’s interest in silence is rooted from his childhood. Cage was able to train himself to find noise interesting rather than distracting.
I thought it was surprising how the public’s opinion of Cage’s work drastically changed from his early work. It was described as inoffensive and charming as opposed to 4’33” which was described as “absolutely ridiculous” and “stupid.” Towards the end of Cage’s life he returned to his earlier stages of music towards the end of his life and he described it as “beautiful music” something he had almost resisted for years.
Overall, I think Cage made a big impact in the art world. He created something that was new and never done before in the music industry- intentionally. Cage was mocked and put down as a creator despite ultimately changing the way music is looked at today. Cage made people look at music differently and the openness of what music can be.
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