How’s That Workin’ Out For You, John?

The present methods of writing music, principally those which employ harmony and its reference to particular steps in the field of sound, will be inadequate for the composer, who will be faced with the entire field of sound.

Cage, J. (1961). Silence: Lectures and writings, p. 4. Middletown, Conn: Wesleyan University Press.

Before this happens, […]

What’s the Avant Garde?

Terry Riley may look rediculous, but he is one of the leaders of a principal post-modern avant garde movement.

I’ve been thinking a ton about where classical art music is going these days, and I consistently get drawn to looking back at prior avant-garde movements that developed into important musical movements. Consider the […]