“TV interview: if you were asked to describe yourself in three words, wha’d you say?” John Cage writes in his diary. “An open cage.”
Not all the words in the dictionary could adequately sum up the artistry and influence of John Cage’s compositional output—but those three words are a pretty good start. Today, we celebrate what would have been the 105th birthday of one of the 20th century’s most influential thinkers.
Cage was much more than just a composer—he was a pioneer of indeterminacy in music, a precursor to contemporary electroacoustic music, an innovator of musical instruments, and, perhaps most controversially, a philosopher of sound and silence.
In celebration of his his life and music, we’re counting off a handful of our favorite John Cage features on Second Inversion. Click the icons below to explore his musical musings in our John Cage Diary series, discover his works for speaking percussionist in Bonnie Whiting’s new album, take a photo tour of Jesse Myers’ prepared piano, relive the glory of last year’s Musicircus, or watch our exclusive in-studio video of So Percussion performing Living Room Music.
And how about a celebratory soundtrack? Drop by Seattle’s Ace Hotel anytime today for a 24-hour John Cage marathon in the lobby, and pick up a free copy of our John Cage Diary Zine while you’re there!