John Cage: Inner Listening

Music is nothing more than sound, with or without meaning, that the brain attempts to make sense of in a way that is comfortable. Over the years, there have been countless composers that have succeeded in not breaking tradition, per say, but rather adding to it. These influences are seen everywhere in today’s music from new age contemporary to country to hip- hop genres. John Cage, the composer that wrote 4’33”, believed that all sound is music which does not necessarily have to have meaning, according to Cage in From Zero: The Documentary. A technique in music called “inner listening” refers so how one would listen with their inner being instead of just taking the sounds at face value, which is “outer listening”. One of Cage’s philosophies …show more content…
Cage made a point of this in his renowned masterpiece 4’33” which features four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence. He was attempting to make the audience members listen to all of the sounds of their surroundings devoid of something that is given to listen to. The silence embraces the presence of surrounding noise. For instance, traffic just beyond the walls or subtle breathing from the crowd. Inspiration for this piece came from his Asian influences and friend Gita Sarabhai:
I had accepted the idea that the purpose of music was to sober and quiet the mind. Thus, making on susceptible to divine influences. And this reason for making the music was given meaning by an Indian musician who said that her teacher had told her was the purpose of music. Therefore, it was the traditional purpose from ancient times. And the question that arises if you accept that purpose is, ‘what is mind? And what is a sober mind? And what are divine influences?’ (Cage, From Zero: The …show more content…
As Caroline A. Jones noted in her journal article Finishing School: John Cage and the Abstract Expressionist Ego, “Cage reminded his listeners that the subjects being obsessed about were not trapped within the subconsciousness… rather, they were all around, to be discovered in simple, silent wonder in the world” (644). It is said that sound and music can be spiritual experiences where one finds their true inner self. However, the opposite can be said to be true. Silence can be where an individual discovers what the true meaning of what they are listening to or what is surrounding them is. Cage also expands on his philosophy about silence stating that it is part of sound and its structure (Cage “Silence: Lectures and Writings” 13-14). Without silence, most sound would not be distinguishable between one phrase and another. Sound would not be as appreciated as it is without silence. Constant noise defeats the purpose of special sound and how it flows between pieces. Defending this point, Cage