Twenty Thousand Hertz

4’33”: John Cage’s revolutionary “silent” musical piece

Jan 22, 2020
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ANECDOTE

Early Experience Playing 4'33"

  • Kyle Gann performed Four Thirty-Three at his high school piano recital before hearing anyone else play it.
  • Audience reaction was confusion mixed with smiles and giggles as nothing was actually played.
INSIGHT

Silence as Active Listening

  • John Cage saw silence not as absence of sound but as an opportunity for deep listening.
  • He revealed that silence actually holds rich sounds we often overlook in daily life.
INSIGHT

True Silence Does Not Exist

  • Cage discovered an anechoic chamber was not truly silent; he heard sounds from his body.
  • This led him to the insight that absolute silence does not exist, as even our bodies create sound.
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