John Cage’s Art of Noise | The New Yorker was a small look into John Cages bewildering, non-traditional, and exciting life and endeavors. I found this reading to be very inspiring and relatable. John Cages ideology was/is chaotic, random, and nonconformist which I quite like.
These lines from the article, "His indefatigable optimism carried him through periods of frustration. Gann writes, “He was a handbook on how to be a non-bitter composer in a democracy.”", struck me because that is what I strive to be as an artist.
His story is relatable to anyone. John Cage wasn't too sure what career path he should take and tried architecture and art before finding his way to music.
Although, as a controversial artist, John made just enough money to have what he needed. Interestingly, he actually had a 'side hustle' of foraging for mushrooms and selling them to nice restaurants, which I find wholesome. This also shows how much John Cage was willing to devote himself to his craft and not only that, but all of the ideology that came from his work and experiences in the art world and through life.
"After moving to Stony Point, he began collecting mushrooms during walks in the woods. Within a few years, he had mastered the mushroom literature and co-founded the New York Mycological Society."
This small probably fun activity created a change in the community. Questioning authority and following one's true intuitions can create beautiful, impactful happenings. John Cage is a great example of this, by forever changing how we view music, the ideas around art, and traditional values, he will always be known as a great inspiration.
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