Scholarly discussion of the music of John Cage.

[Rob Haskins <>]

Dear Zona,

Thank you very much for this message. Right off the bat I can think of two publications that I think would appeal to a general reader. The first is my book, John Cage, published by Reaktion Books as part of their Critical Lives series. It's presently in print-on-demand but can easily be ordered through Amazon, etc. 

The second, while not in print, is a wonderful and lively opportunity to listen to various performers and scholars talk about him with the wonderful Laura Kuhn, the director of the John Cage Trust. Her podcasts can be heard at https://wavefarm.org/radio/wgxc/schedule/v9kbzv.

Richard Kostelanetz wrote about Cage in a way, I think, that had very wide appeal. I don't believe he's writing anything new, though he's still with us (at 84!). 

I'm sure others here have examples they can give you.  

On Tue, May 21, 2024 at 8:47 PM Mazona <> wrote:

Dear Silencers,

 

I hope it's okay if I offer the thought of someone who is not a musician or a composer (just the 88 year old mother of one, Randy Hostetler, who no longer lives.)  I agree, of course, with all the previous comments about the ignorance, and worse, of those who mindlessly criticize John Cage and his admirers, especially those critics affiliated with extremist right wing groups.  At the same time I find that my friends - of all ages - who are educated and cultured and most definitely not right-wingers, mostly have never heard of Cage or have heard the name (and perhaps about his 4'33" which they have been led to believe is some sort of joke.)  I myself, having been brought up listening primarily to music of the Western canon, would likely not have known much about Cage either if Randy, (who adored Cage, read everything he ever wrote, corresponded with him a bit, and organized living room concerts in Los Angeles to discuss his ideas and perform his scores) had not enlightened me, at least a little, and opened my mind and ears to hearing and appreciating different kinds of sounds on widely differing instruments (including sounds of silence.)

 

This makes me wonder if there shouldn't be an expanded effort by Cagean scholars such as you to publish articles and books in publications for the general public, perhaps an effort even to produce plays, TV programs and films, to educate the general populace about Cage and why he is important.  It is not to counter political extremists (who are probably beyond redemption) that I suggest this but because it seems to me it would be good to expand the thinking and horizons of non-musicians.  It would also contribute to wider interest in  preserving Cage's legacy. (Laura Kuhn once told me that the Cage Trust receives only a paucity of contributions.)  Perhaps I am terribly uninformed and these publications for the general public do in fact exist.  If so, I would be happy to receive a reading/viewing list from anyone on this listserve  who doesn't mind taking the time to provide it, and I will share it with others.

 

Thank you for indulging my non-scholarly posting on "Silence" whose posts I very much enjoy reading.

Zona Hostetler

 

 

 

In a message dated 5/20/2024 2:40:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time, writes:

 

Yes, but remember that the people who "accept" this are people who live in their own special reality that we don't need to be drawn into. In the final analysis, it just may be a bad book wrapped in bad intentions that's better off being ignored. I think *that* would be the best approach overall. I don't see it reaching epidemic proportions until we start getting huge numbers of people actually interested in culture instead of entertainment.

 

R

On May 20, 2024, at 01:23, Ralph Lichtensteiger <> wrote:

Dear Rod,

I agree. All this crap is used from the right-wing press/web to discredit progressive and enligthened thinking. Of course, Sora's book is complete nonsense, but also outrageousness and 100% fake news. That's why it shouldn't just be accepted. The content of this book is a slander.

Best

R Li

Am Sonntag, 19. Mai 2024 schrieb Rod Stasick <>:

Notorious for extreme right-wing opinion.

Here’s, for example, an ongoing dispute between Achgut and NewsGuard

who are known to investigate misinformation on the web.

 

https://www.newsguardtech.com/ feedback/publisher/achgut-com/

 

This example has to do with Achgut lying about vaccines.

At the end of the long back-and-forth, you’ll see that Achgut

gives the same answer that, for example, Fox ‘news” does in America:

 

"To clarify, we do not claim in our “Mediensteckbriefs” (“Media Profile”, I believe - 

Ralph can say otherwise) or elsewhere that Achgut.com specifically presents itself as a news site."

 

 

In short, fuck ‘em.

 

Rod

 

On May 19, 2024, at 13:31, Dionysis Boukouvalas <> wrote:

I immediately guessed Sora was European. In need of protecting the European culture.

After a little search, I found out - no surprise - he is a European "avant-garde" composer.

I use quotations because this has become something of a brand name in my eyes. It is ironic how conservative and self-serving European "avant-garde" has become after 1990. Will it ever end?

Thank god for John…

 

 


Now Playing:
‌Andrew Cyrille Quartet‌:‌ Manfred
from:
‌The Declaration of Musical Independence‌

‌Last.FM‌

‌‌
‌Random Radio/Mastodon‌

KURU 89.1 FM - Gila/Mimbres Community Radio‌

--

Rob Haskins, DMA., PhD

Professor and Chair, Department of Music

(he • him • his)

603-862-3987 (voicemail only)

603-862-3155 (fax)

College of Liberal Arts

University of New Hampshire
M-214, Paul Creative Arts Center
30 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824
<https://cola.unh.edu/person/rob-haskins>
<http://robhaskins.net>