Searching for Silence
I think the most powerful thing John Cage ever stated was that he thinks there is "no such thing as silence". Searching for Silence unravels the deeper questions that the art tackles. He states, “Art is a sort of experimental station in which one tries out living.” One interesting point that stood out to me was that Cage had political incentives and motivations for his exploration of silence. The article makes out his works of art as almost petty acts of rebellion. This includes an intrinsic motivation to break norms and push past societal expectations. Cage learned that he was gay after marrying a woman and did not sit compliantly. I think it's important to learn how he could be publicly gay in this more tenuous time. Next, comparing music to an art form opened my eyes. I was surprised and initially uninspired by this project as I am a very visual person. I admire dance as one of the greatest art forms, though, so it makes sense to explore the sounds that go behind it. I once performed in a modern dance number that was choreographed to a spoken word sound tract. One of our greatest takeaways was the interactiveness from our audience members' noises produced. It made it really rewarding as an artist to feel that connection in the live shows. Lastly, as I read the New York Times article in the library, I was surprised by the strength and number of sounds,
like the clacking of computer keys and the clinking of water bottles.
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