Episode 164: “White Light/White Heat” by the Velvet Underground
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
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The Influence of Zen on Cage's Work
Cage's whole worldview was profoundly affected by Zen. His work after learning about Zen is mostly a continuation of trends we can already see. He became convinced that the point of music isn't to communicate anything between two people, rather its point is merely to be experienced. In this piece, Cage would set the audience on all sides, so they'd be facing each other. The audience were included in the performance, and it was meant to be experienced as a gestalt - what we now call an immersive experience.
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