Which is more musical, a truck passing by a factory or a truck passing by a music school?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Music depends on context and intention, not just sound.
- In plain terms
- A truck is more musical near a music school.
- What can you take from it?
- Context shapes how we hear sound.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes sound music?
- Where do you find music?
Another view
Some sounds are musical regardless of place.
More from John Cage
A finished work is exactly that, requires resurrection.
Permalink to quote #1 A sound does not view itself as thought, as ought, as needing another sound for its elucidation, as etc.; it has not time for any consideration--it is occupied…
Permalink to quote #3 I imagine that as contemporary music goes on changing in the way that I'm changing it what will be done is to more and more completely liberate sounds from abs…
Permalink to quote #4
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