Reading Blog #2

I believe that when John Cage performed nothing to an audience on his piano, it had the same effect as when Marcel Duchamp signed a toilet he had bought. After both of these events, the art and music communities were stunned, and had much debate to say about the performances. The response to both events was whether to actually consider their pieces of art, actually art. The music world heavily debated if John Cage and David Tudors actually were making music because they were actually physically doing anything. I have mixed opinions about both the performances. At first, I was very firm in believing that sitting at a piano for many minutes did not count as a musical performance. Once I heard Cage’s explanation about why he did it and that there really were sounds and music being displayed, my mind got confused. Although it is definitely not a typical way we have heard music, the fact that you have to think through and question your usual mindset, makes it more of an art piece than it was first perceived. After reading the article Searching For Silence, I found out that many other people, up to the current day, have recreated Cage’s work, it makes me not appreciate it as much. I think originally the piece made a huge impact, but when it is repeated over and over again, I think it loses its original spark and debate. I feel that this piece of art has made audiences all over the world more in tune with the sounds and music displayed around them at all times.