John Cage "As far as consistency of thought goes, I prefer inconsistency." --John Cage

1. John Cage"As far as consistency of thought goes, I prefer inconsistency." --John Cage Brenna Farrell ISSM 395

2. Personal Information I'm currently integrating Music and Communication Design, mostly an emphasis on Web Design. The title I'm working with for my major is Media Studies and I'm set to graduate this Spring 2012 semester.

3. Who was John Cage? • A composer who was most notably known for composing Chance music. •  Was also a music theorist, artist, and writer. •  Famous pieces include 4'33" and Prepared Piano. "The first question I ask myself when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is why do I think it's not beautiful. And very shortly you discover that there is no reason."

4. Why Cage left college "I was shocked at college to see one hundred of my classmates in the library all reading copies of the same book. Instead of doing as they did, I went into the stacks and read the first book written by an author whose name began with Z. I received the highest grade in the class. That convinced me that the institution was not being run correctly. I left."

5. He looked at other possibilities when it came to creating music.  Sometimes you don't need to do anything but create a composition based just on silence for people to notice their surroundings and recognize the natural music that is made by the world. How was John Cage Purple?

6. Cage's Perception on Music “If you develop an ear for sounds that are musical it is like developing an ego. You begin to refuse sounds that are not musical and that way cut yourself off from a good deal of experience.”  “Everything we do is music." “Whether I make them or not, there are always sounds to be heard and all of them are excellent.”

7. Background • Born in September 5, 1912 in Los Angeles to John Cage Sr., who was an inventor and Lucretia Harvey, a journalist. •  Studied for a short time at Pamona College but dropped out because he believed college was no use to a writer (the career he originally was pursuing). •  Later, traveled through Europe for 18 months were he started writing his first pieces of music. •  Returned to America in 1931 and studied composition with Henry Cowell, Adolph Weiss, and Arnold Schoenberg. • Cage's first experiments where altering instruments like putting bolts and screw between piano string's before playing it.

8. If They Were a part of ISSM What would they combine? • Music • Global Studies What would their ILP title be? Global Music Statement of Purpose? To open people's minds to the musical possibilities of the world  other than the traditional. To show  people how to appreciate the simplicity of life.

9. John Cage has been a personal inspiration since I first heard about him and studied him the Fall of 2010 semester.  He has shown me that, if you just listen closely, music surrounding us every day from nature alone.  He has also helped me to open my mind to not only the endless possibilities and joys in music, but in living life every day and letting it "act of it's own accord". "Our intention is to affirm this life, not to bring order out of chaos, nor to suggest improvements in creation, but simply to wake up to the very life we're living, which is so excellent once one gets one's mind and desires out of its way and lets it act of it's own accord."-John Cage Inspiration