History Music / JohnCage

He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]][=/=]UsefulNotes/{{di|ce}}e[=/=]other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]][=/=]die[=/=]other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

-->--'''John Cage,''' "Lecture on Nothing" (1949)

John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American AvantGardeMusic composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non-standard approaches to musical instruments,]] electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no composed sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33",'' which called for the performer to play no music (the work's aural experience for the audience consists solely of environmental sounds). He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]][=/=]die[=/=]other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

The 1992 documentary ''The Revenge of the Dead Indians,'' talks about the importance and influence of Music/JohnCage's contributions to music and has interviews with various celebrities (Noam Chomsky, Creator/MattGroening, Iannis Xenakis, Music/FrankZappa, Pierre Boulez, Creator/RutgerHauer, Creator/DennisHopper, Yehudi Menuhin, Benoit Mandelbrot, Music/YokoOno, and Music/JohnZorn).

Not to be confused with [[Series/AllyMcBeal the TV character with the same name]] or [[Franchise/MortalKombat the video game character.]]

* SilenceIsGolden: Deconstructed. Cage came up with the idea that plain background noise can be music and that we listen to it all the time, unknowingly, without regarding it as noise. He arrived at this idea because he realised he'd never heard total silence, so he booked himself into a session in a soundproofed anechoic chamber where, in theory, he'd be able to hear what perfect silence sounded like. He told the technicians that it was faulty, because he could hear a thumping noise and a whining noise. They told him that these were the sounds of, respectively, his heartbeat and his nervous system. Whereupon Cage understood that silence is not golden: it just doesn't exist.

* CheshireCatGrin: In real life, Cage was prone to this. He even lampshaded this practically by name in a documentary.
-->[''having just finished describing his collaborative process with Cunningham to Frank Scheffer, he smiles then looks off to his right, catching himself in either an offscreen reflection or a monitor'']\\
'''Cage''': Now I look like the Cheshire Cat! [''chuckles'']

* OddFriendship: With Music/JohnLennon and Music/YokoOno, who were his neighbours in New York City at one point. Ono had known Cage in her earlier career as a visual artist. Cage had always been omnivorous, but John and Yoko introduced him to macrobiotic food, and he switched to a macrobiotic diet for the rest of his life.

* StarvingArtist: He went through a pretty bad patch in the 1940's.
* StraightGay: He was involved with his choreographer Merce Cunningham for [[GrowOldWithMe almost 50 years]] before Cage's death. He never once exhibited any of the stereotypes.

* OddFriendship: With Music/JohnLennon and Music/YokoOno, who were his neighbours in New York City at one point. Cage had always been omnivorous, but John and Yoko introduced him to macrobiotic food, and he switched to a macrobiotic diet for the rest of his life.

->[''having just finished describing his collaborative process with Cunningham to Frank Scheffer, he smiles then looks off to his right, catching himself in either an offscreen reflection or a monitor'']\\

* RunningTimeInTheTitle: ''4'33".'' Some performances last longer, though they're not supposed to.

As usual, you can find the basics at [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cage The Other Wiki.]]

The 1992 documentary ''The Revenge of the Dead Indians,'' talks about the importance and influence of Music/JohnCage's contributions to music and has interviews with various celebrities (Noam Chomsky, Creator/MattGroening, Iannis Xenakis, Music/FrankZappa, Pierre Boulez, Creator/RutgerHauer, Creator/DennisHopper, Yehudi Menuhin, Benoit Mandelbrot, Music/YokoOno, and Music/JohnZorn).

* AnythingCanBeMusic: He actually said this. Played absolutely straight. He would talk about standing on a street corner listening to the different sounds.
** One avant-garde musician was at a Cage concert with a friend who was a non-musician, and Cage was engaged in rubbing the stylus of a record player with various different types of sandpaper.[[note]]For those who've never encountered a record player and can't imagine what this would sound like, the result would have been an ''ungodly'' series of amplified scratching sounds.[[/note]] The non-musician friend in the audience whispered to the musician if he thought Cage would mind if she just screamed, and before he had a chance to say anything, she threw back her head and released all her frustration in a loud "AAAAAAAHHHH!" Cage just looked up with a pleased expression on his face.

* EverythingIsAnInstrument: Along with ''4'33",'' this also applies to his five part series ''Imaginary Landscape:''
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 1:'' Turntables and frequency recordings with a cymbal and muted piano.
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 2:'' Tin cans, conch shell, metal wastebasket, buzzers, and amplified coil of wire.
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 3:'' Most of what was in the first two.
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 4:'' 12 radios operated by 24 performers.
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 5:'' Magnetic tape recording of any 42 vinyl records.
** The Arditti Quartet's [=CD=], ''Complete String Quartets Vol. 1,'' features on the back of the jewel box the note: "Tracks 2 and 4 contain applause." Not applause ''along'' with the music, ''just'' applause.

* GenreBusting: A particularly extreme example; he was an early pioneer of electronic music, especially with his ''Imaginary Landscape'' series, but he also wrote piano sonatas that, on their own, weren't particularly romantic or impressionistic. He also went completely against established musical tradition, making [[ExaggeratedTrope very liberal use of]] EverythingIsAnInstrument and AnythingCanBeMusic. In short, his music is a very unusual catalog of noises that had never been put together before or since.

John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American AvantGardeMusic composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non-standard approaches to musical instruments,]] electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33",'' which called for the performer to play no music. He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]][=/=]die[=/=]other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American AvantGardeMusic composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non-standard approaches to musical instruments,]] electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33,"'' which called for the performer to play no music. He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]][=/=]die[=/=]other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

* TheVoiceless: Any musician while playing ''4'33."''

* EverythingIsAnInstrument: Along with ''4'33,"'' this also applies to his five part series ''Imaginary Landscape:''

* RunningTimeInTheTitle: ''4'33."'', though some performances last longer.

* TitleByNumber: ''4'33."''

'''John Milton Cage Jr.''' (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American AvantGardeMusic composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non-standard approaches to musical instruments,]] electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33,"'' which called for the performer to play no music. He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]][=/=]die[=/=]other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

'''John Cage''' (1912-1992) was an American AvantGardeMusic composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non-standard approaches to musical instruments,]] electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33,"'' which called for the performer to play no music. He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]][=/=]die[=/=]other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

* {{Harmony}}: Had a lot of problems with this when he was studying under Schoenberg.

'''John Cage''' (1912-1992) was an American AvantGardeMusic composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non-standard approaches to musical instruments,]] electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33,"'' which called for the performer to play no music. He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]] / die / other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

* EverythingIsAnInstrument: Along with ''4'33,"' this also applies to his five part series ''Imaginary Landscape:''

* MindScrew: Oh yes. One of the [=libretti=] for one of the ''Europeras'' reads:

* RunningTimeInTheTitle: ''4'33."''

'''John Cage''' (1912-1992) was an American AvantGardeMusic composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non standard approaches to musical instruments,]] electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33,"'' which called for the performer to play no music, as the only sounds would be those generated by the audience in response. He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]] / die / other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

'''John Cage''' (1912-1992) was an American AvantGardeMusic composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non standard approaches to musical instruments,]] electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33,"'' which called for the performer to play no music, as the only sounds would be those generated by the audience in response. It is commonly known as ''Silence.'' He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]] / die / other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes,'' his first ''I Ching'' based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching,'' with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

* LonelyPianoPiece: A good number of the *Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano* are these, and despite all their avant-garde trappings (which can include screws placed between strings, etc.) they are extremely pretty.

* SilenceIsGolden: Cage came up with the idea that plain background noise can be music and that we listen to it all the time, unknowingly, without regarding it as noise. In that regard even silence can be interesting to listen to.

* InsultBackfire: Cage studied for a time under Arnold Schoenberg, but they did not get along very well. In an interview some time later, Schoenberg dismissed Cage, not by name, as an "inventor" rather than a "composer." Cage took it and ran with it.

* AvantGardeMusic: He is highly regarded for his innovative interpretations of what music can be.

-->--'''John Cage''', "Lecture on Nothing" (1949)

'''John Cage''' (1912-1992) was an American AvantGardeMusic composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non-standard approaches to musical instruments]], electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33"'', which called for the performer to play no music, as the only sounds would be those generated by the audience in response. It is commonly known as ''Silence.'' He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]][=/=]die[=/=]other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes'', his first ''I Ching''-based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching'', with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.

Not to be confused with [[Series/AllyMcBeal the TV character with the same name]] or [[Franchise/MortalKombat the video game character]].

As usual, you can find the basics at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cage The Other Wiki]].

The 1992 documentary ''The Revenge Of The Dead Indians'', talks about the importance and influence of Music/JohnCage's contributions to music and has interviews with various celebrities (Creator/NoamChomsky, Creator/MattGroening, Iannis Xenakis, Music/FrankZappa, Pierre Boulez, Creator/RutgerHauer, Creator/DennisHopper, Yehudi Menuhin, Benoît Mandelbrot, Music/YokoOno, Music/JohnZorn).

!!! "And these are tropes, as I need them.":

* EverythingIsAnInstrument: Along with ''4'33"'', this also applies to his five-part series ''Imaginary Landscape.'':
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 1'': turntables and frequency recordings with a cymbal and muted piano.
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 2'': tin cans, conch shell, metal wastebasket, buzzers, and amplified coil of wire
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 3'': most of what was in the first two
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 4'': 12 radios operated by 24 performers
** ''Imaginary Landscape No. 5'': magnetic tape recording of any 42 vinyl records.
** The Arditti Quartet's [=CD=], ''Complete String Quartets Vol. 1,'' features on the back of the jewel box the note "Tracks 2 and 4 contain applause." Not applause ''along'' with the music, ''just'' applause.

* HeadsOrTails: The method of his ''I Ching''-based pieces, which used randomized elements (including coin flips, dice, or other methods of drawing lots) to determine what sounds would be played.
* InsultBackfire: Cage studied for a time under Arnold [=Schoenberg=], but they did not get along very well. In an interview some time later, Schoenberg dismissed Cage, not by name, as an "inventor" rather than a "composer." Cage took it and ran with it.
* LeaveTheCameraRunning: ''Organ/ASLSP (As [=SLow=] aS Possible),'' which, while originally designed to run from 20 to 70 minutes, is being performed at St. Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} since 2001 with the intention of lasting '''''639 YEARS''''', taking it to the year ''2640!''
* MindScrew: Oh yes. One of the [=libretti=] for one of the ''[=Europeras=]'' reads:
-->"Dressed as an Irish princess, he gives birth; they plot to overthrow the French. He arranges to be kidnapped by her; rejuvenated, they desert: to him she had borne two children. He prays for help. Since they have decided she shall marry no-one outside, he has himself crowned emperor. She, told he is dead, begs him to look at her. First, before the young couple come to a climax, he agrees. Accidentally she drowns them."
* {{Opera}}: "''[=Europeras=]''"
* RunningTimeInTheTitle: ''4'33"''

* StarvingArtist: He went through a pretty bad patch in the 1940s.
* TitleByNumber: ''4'33"''
* TheVoiceless: Any musician while playing ''4'33"''.

'''John Cage''' (1912-1992) was an American [[TrueArtIsIncomprehensible avant-garde]] composer from UsefulNotes/LosAngeles, who pioneered the use of [[EverythingIsAnInstrument non-standard approaches to musical instruments]], electronic music, chance music, and, most famously, no sounds at all, with his 1952 piece ''4'33"'', which called for the performer to play no music, as the only sounds would be those generated by the audience in response. It is commonly known as ''Silence.'' He also composed with the ''I Ching'' as a reference and inspiration, leading him to introduce chance techniques. Put in LaymansTerms, instead of a composition having a standard beginning, middle and ending, what got played at a given time was determined by what came up on a [[HeadsOrTails coin]][=/=]die[=/=]other means of deciding. ''Music of Changes'', his first ''I Ching''-based piece, is basically an algorithm for creating a composition based on consulting the ''I Ching'', with the actual "sheet music" being a set of charts to instruct on different aspects of the music based on the results.