After listening to both of Cage’s pieces Water Walk and 4’33, do you think Cage was a charlatan and not a musician? Or was he smarter than we think and had a point?

While Cage’s work caused indignation both on the part of the audience and on the part of many composers of that time, it is clear that he made a lasting impact with it. I think he was a unique composer, in his way, as he thought about creating music through silence – something no one else thought to do before him. John Cage wanted to convey to the audience that there is no such thing as “silence” and that the world is overflowing with various random sounds.

He wanted the audience to pay attention to the wind outside the window, the sounds of rain, whispering people, the steps of those who decided to leave, and other inconspicuous little things. He wanted to emphasize the importance of all these sounds, and for it, I think that he was not a charlatan. Cage sincerely believed that these random noises are music to the same extent as works written for the piano, and to appreciate them, you just need to listen carefully to them. This is genius in its way, and Cage played it well.

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Academic.Tips. (2022) 'After listening to both of Cage’s pieces Water Walk and 4’33, do you think Cage was a charlatan and not a musician? Or was he smarter than we think and had a point'. 7 October.

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Academic.Tips. (2022, October 7). After listening to both of Cage’s pieces Water Walk and 4’33, do you think Cage was a charlatan and not a musician? Or was he smarter than we think and had a point? https://academic.tips/question/after-listening-to-both-of-cages-pieces-water-walk-and-433-do-you-think-cage-was-a-charlatan-and-not-a-musician-or-was-he-smarter-than-we-think-and-had-a-point/

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Academic.Tips. 2022. "After listening to both of Cage’s pieces Water Walk and 4’33, do you think Cage was a charlatan and not a musician? Or was he smarter than we think and had a point?" October 7, 2022. https://academic.tips/question/after-listening-to-both-of-cages-pieces-water-walk-and-433-do-you-think-cage-was-a-charlatan-and-not-a-musician-or-was-he-smarter-than-we-think-and-had-a-point/.

1. Academic.Tips. "After listening to both of Cage’s pieces Water Walk and 4’33, do you think Cage was a charlatan and not a musician? Or was he smarter than we think and had a point?" October 7, 2022. https://academic.tips/question/after-listening-to-both-of-cages-pieces-water-walk-and-433-do-you-think-cage-was-a-charlatan-and-not-a-musician-or-was-he-smarter-than-we-think-and-had-a-point/.


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Academic.Tips. "After listening to both of Cage’s pieces Water Walk and 4’33, do you think Cage was a charlatan and not a musician? Or was he smarter than we think and had a point?" October 7, 2022. https://academic.tips/question/after-listening-to-both-of-cages-pieces-water-walk-and-433-do-you-think-cage-was-a-charlatan-and-not-a-musician-or-was-he-smarter-than-we-think-and-had-a-point/.

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"After listening to both of Cage’s pieces Water Walk and 4’33, do you think Cage was a charlatan and not a musician? Or was he smarter than we think and had a point?" Academic.Tips, 7 Oct. 2022, academic.tips/question/after-listening-to-both-of-cages-pieces-water-walk-and-433-do-you-think-cage-was-a-charlatan-and-not-a-musician-or-was-he-smarter-than-we-think-and-had-a-point/.

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