Theodore Kim
V00960161
Music 116
Dr. Patrick Boyle
December 8, 2020

Optional Blog Prompt A for Choice Cuts

Cage states “there is no such thing as an empty space or an empty time. There is always something to see and hear. Try as we may to make a silence, we cannot.” Discuss this statement in relation to Cage’s landmark experiment in composition “4’33.”

In my experience of “4’33,” I constantly heard and saw something. I heard my heartbeat, my breath, the creaking of my headphones, and the shifting of my hair as I looked at my computer screen, and around the room. The more I tried to ‘make silence,’ the sharper these sounds became. This experience reminded me of mindfulness meditation, which, from my understanding, involves simply noticing the sensations that arise in consciousness. Mindfulness meditation also reveals, among other things, that there is no empty space or time, much like “4’33” does. This suggests that “4’33” can involve not only sound, but sight, touch, taste, and smell as well.  Thinking back on my experience, I felt, for example, my feet on the floor, my butt in my seat, and my back against the chair. I had the aftertaste of breakfast in my mouth; a peanut butter banana sandwich, an orange, and yogurt. Finally, I faintly smelled my mom’s perfume on me from hugging her before. While Cage may not have intended it, those who experience “4’33” may notice many or all of their senses more keenly, as I did.

My experience of “4’33” made me consider how I appear during performances, and use ‘silence’ when I play. My piano instructor tells me that a performance begins when you enter the stage, and ends when you exit the stage, and my experience of “4’33” emphasizes this point. If I want to deliver a complete performance, I should consider everything from my walk to the piano, to my bow at the end. While there was no empty space or time during my experience of “4’33,” the ‘silence’ created suspense and anticipation. Perhaps I could use this ‘silence’ to my advantage, for example, to build suspense before beginning a piece.