John Cage's 4'33'' explained: The music of silence

John Cages 4'33'' caused quite the stir when it was premiered in 1952, but was it just provocation?
Bass Walker by Kevin MacLeod incompetech.com/
Promoted by MrSnooze • Film Noir Background M...
License: CC BY 3.0 goo.gl/Yibru5

[@thinginground5179]

we're always listening to 4'33" Conclusion? 4'33" is life. It's the song of life.

[@calumluke5880]

Exactly- and how amazing is that??!

[@thinginground5179]

@@calumluke5880 damn cool

[@eulahearts2839]

wait thats actually pretty cool omg

[@Ren602]

So who composed this ringing in my ears? Beethoven? Lol

[@thinginground5179]

@@groofay thanks

[@mechasentai]

Oh my god what is happening to me? I legitimately understand and appreciate 4’33.”

[@calumluke5880]

Glad you have joined the world of Cage, an absolute legend, so influential

[@segmentsAndCurves]

You have achieved: rational thinking.

[@XeLYoutube]

same its one of my favorite song i always come back to it and find new emotion

[@davepowell7168]

@@calumluke5880 but the emporer has no fracking clothes..

[@openminddream]

A music professor at a West Texas college conveyed a story to me about a performance by John Cage of his 4'33", when he had visited the college many years prior. During the performance, some faculty members who were dismissive of Cage entered the auditorium from the rear, loudly clanking their instrument cases against chairs as they walked all the way to the front of the auditorium and exited. Afterwards, the professor said he was horrified and tried to apologize deeply to Cage. However, Cage was absolutely delighted and said it was the best ever performance of the piece.

[@InsightAndEnergy]

Yes!

[@kmbrly101]

There's nothing cooler than being opened up to another perspective! I love this. Thank you

[@Testgeraeusch]

I listen to music most of the daytime; not with headphones, but with a stero, in my car or in the lab where we have a pair of mediocre speakers and the noise of running pumps. Ona day, put on the 4'33'' version on the youtube theme channel. I was a bit surprised that there is one, but then again... Why not? I pressed play, turned up the volume a little, and sat down. And then i took a looka round and decided to bring the dishes back to the kitchen, and let in some fresh air again. I looked outside, felt heavy winds on my face, and when i closed the window and sat down again, the piece was just about to finish. The absence of intentional background noise was, in a sense, refreshing.

[@calumluke5880]

It’s a sense of freedom you don’t get with any other genre of music- the best piece of music has been looking us in the face for years but we never appreciated it

[@Rucka_Inc.]

I just conducted the sequel to this song called "4 min and 34 seconds of silence" I'm a genius.

[@ragabashmoon1551]

A Twitch musician last night performed 4'33" in High Valyrian and a saxophone by request (15,000 Channel Points "Perform a song in a different language"). All of chat loved it, even though many were confused (even me, as I had forgotten what 4'33" was until halfway through the performance it dawned on me.) It was glorious.

[@calumluke5880]

It amazing how “silence” is so underrated- music is always around us, we just don’t appreciate it

[@johnluong4556]

Holy moly! This quality of content needs 100x its current amount of views!

[@calumluke5880]

Thanks man, appreciate the kind comments!

[@caralineg6568]

I enjoyed this video! I'm on playing rest right now so I keep joking I'm currently working on 4'33". I loved hearing your opinion on the piece. I'd love to see more videos from this channel :)

[@BaileFunkNation]

I love Cage, love 4'33" and now I love this video. Thank you Calum.

[@januszbogumil]

I think there's two layers of experience when you listen to a recording of 4'33. There's the experience recorded in the recording, and then there's the live experience of you listening to the recording. I hear whatever ambience is happening in the recording, and also whatever ambience is happening around me in real time. So I think listening to a recording of 4'33 is fine actually and you can still make the experience your own. But I think it's also more interesting when the recording is a video, because you can also see what's happening at the time of the performance.

[@AtCheruti]

There's nothing to explain because there's nothing there. 4'33" is not music. The artist has no clothes.

[@patgeh794]

There is plenty there. Did you not get the explanation provided in the video? (If that didn't resonate, there are plenty of other possible interpretations to be found on the internet.)

[@KlausSgroi]

Cage's 4'33" is the musical equivalent of a paint splatter on a white canvas: the "artist" will obviously claim there is a deep meaning to their "art" and the pretentious members of the public will agree because they don't want to come across as dumb. The "artist's" intention is just to shock, really. But then again, that's the basis of post-modernist art: a focus on the intention of the artist rather than the art itself. That's why their art lives shortly whilst the masters' art is eternal.

[@captainfeedback1]

If you only like pretty pictures that's fine. Other people like things that provoke thought and conversation. Nothing pretentious about that.

[@KlausSgroi]

@@captainfeedback1 If music, by definition, is a set of wave frequencies organised or arranged in such a way that they create harmonies among themselves and pleasantly stimulate our ears, we can safely say this is not an example of music. To say it is means one is pretentious. And one can provoke thought and conversation by producing "pretty pictures" anyway. No need to shock to make people think.

[@captainfeedback1]

@@KlausSgroi Do you actually find this 'shocking'...? I mean, of course it's not truly music (I agree with you in your definition of music, by the way) but there is a valid place for it in the world, surely? In truth, I would rather hear 4,33 than, say, Ed Sheeran. I find his music offensively cynical in its motives, for example. To paraphrase Mark Hollis - "before you play two notes, play only one note. And make sure you have a good reason for playing that..."

[@KlausSgroi]

@@captainfeedback1 Most of us nowadays live in free societies, so what that entails is a freedom to express ourselves in any way we wish to (within the limits of reason, preferably). Cage and others are entitled to this right of expression, and if they choose to do it like this, it's fine by me. Just don't call it music (or art, for that matter). Give it another name. If one goes to a "music concert" and "hears" 4'33'', I would argue one would be shocked. Why wouldn't they be? The expectations for "art" are high because of the precedents (the masters of the past I mentioned earlier). One surely doesn't expect to hear a musical piece that is silent and focuses on the intention of the artist rather than the artistic merits of the piece itself. That being said, I also detest today's music for being on the other extreme: commercial art, made for the sole purpose of earning money (Ed Sheeran included).

[@viktormartinez1405]

@@KlausSgroi you're 100% right. This is stupid as hell and incredibly pretentious. I don't need to sit in silence for 4 minutes and 33 seconds in order to appreciate silence, especially if I paid for a ticket. I've been playing music for most of my life, and I ve learned to really hate "artists". If I wanted to watch paint dry I'd sit at home

[@jakel540]

4'33" is the sound of hundreds of people simultaneously trying not to fart.

[@kopv1827]

holy crap you only have 24 subs!HOW??????WHAT?????Hope you do more videos with this channel dude.This vid rocks

[@calumluke5880]

Thanks for the Sub and I really appreciate the kind words of encouragement!- I have another video in the works, keep your eyes peeled! Thanks again bro!

[@user-yc3tf4wz2x]

40 now

[@calumluke5880]

@@user-yc3tf4wz2x For which I am extremely thankful!

[@kijetesantakalu5593]

56th

[@eriksemc_]

Yeah, I was also expecting a lot of subs here. This was a great video.

[@wellcomematt]

Nicole Kidman brought me here

[@egambino1]

Me too. Hell, she could lead me to the gates of Hell.

[@susieg9017]

Me too

[@ReedGratz]

Good explanation! I've been using a similar approach with my university music students for years. Some get it and learn from it.

[@calumluke5880]

Once you understand it, it free’s your mind before belief! It’s a great way to free up creative block, because everything is given to you on a plate

[@rehanbebas9162]

Terima kasih untuk temanku karena sudah mengirimkan link untuk nonton ini 🙏🏻

[@kyraocity]

Brilliant essay!!!

[@ThucAnhoan-bh2mq]

Thank you😂 im not confused anymore

[@Cheddagoblin]

Hey this is awesome, you should upload more

[@calumluke5880]

I plan to! You’ve encourage me to do more

[@mietekdebussy]

i absolutely love the video

[@rezenant4415]

Wow really enjoyed that

[@calumluke5880]

Glad to hear it bro!

[@baphaelbein7282]

john really went eh im tired of making the music imma just sit here for 4 and a half minutes you guys do the rest

[@velhocoroa]

"What is the music of life?" "Silence, my brother"

[@davidkemery7216]

I perform this piece over and over every night. intermission is when I get up to piss.

[@notmyname3556]

As a designer who's exploring music, I know I shouldn't trust post modernist enthusiast. I was lowkey pissed when I heard 4'33 lmao

[@NelsonMontana1234]

Apparenlty the term "bullshit" was unknown among the intelligentsia of that time.

[@laslalal8451]

This guy really made a single video that gave a good analysis of a silent composition and just dipped

[@KiraB-b5f]

Now it's my favourite song 4,33

[@kemallo4590]

this is like the music version of abstract art paintings that have like one blank colour

[@segmentsAndCurves]

Yes. Everybody can do it :D

[@sarahnunez318]

I still think it's an insult to actual music to call silence music. What is music then, if you can call someone coughing on the background music?

[@ScaleParasitoid]

Super video! Thank you ❤

[@ameryaser3987]

Great video!

[@wquitw0727]

btw i can perform 4'33'' on 30 different instruments..... at the same time

[@calumluke5880]

That’s what we like to hear! Thanks for pushing cages agenda, music is what we want it to be!

[@James-yh2ll]

Help, I tried turning off the radio but 4’ 33 won’t stop playing!!!

[@calumluke5880]

It never ends, such a masterpiece

[@stobibi688]

maybe it would be cool to make this a video of 4 mins. and 33 seconds too then say at the end. "you can replay this video on mute and you're already performing 4'33''.

[@matthewheywood9200]

What an excellent explanation! Thank you, my y9 class are going to love that.

[@calumluke5880]

I hope they enjoyed it- I’m glad it can be useful!

[@cellblockpsycho5819]

I'm glad there was a video about this, because I didn't get this at all. My reaction to the first time seeing John Cages 4'33" was just ... what? I mean, seriously...that's it? really? Hahaha

[@calumluke5880]

It's all a bit crazy until you realise isn't it? Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@cli260]

that is a lovely explanation you did here

[@calumluke5880]

Thank you- I hope you found it beneficial.

[@TheTraveller20081]

@@calumluke5880 I certainly did. I searched 'John Cage prepared piano' to check my thoughts in a discussion where I was confident that I could describe his 'music' as incoherent noise (which almost all of it definitely was) but enjoyed your explanation of this 'work'. An absolute case of 'money for nothing', I remain firmly in the camp that declares that Emperor Cage was entirely naked - but thanks for the explanation!

[@goodkawz]

It’s always embellished by my tinnitus.

[@soochestnut894]

wow that's actually really interesting

[@calumluke5880]

Fascinating isn’t it- how silence can completely change your perspective on life

[@awinski7988]

4'33 is a asmr

[@ambrose7196]

Whenever I listen to 4'33, I become annoyed The sound of the traffic, people talking loudly, kids screaming, truly terrifying I really rather put earplugs in my ear and listen to literally nothing. Nothing is better than 4'33

[@mikezlat7330]

Great video. The fact you don't have more subs is a crime

[@calumluke5880]

Really appreciate the kind words!

[@TactlessGuy]

This was one of the main things that spearheaded the rise of modern art - a mess of low-effort scribbles and randomly hashed-up amalgamations in an effort to stand out as unique.

[@Ariaaae]

Absolutely lazy and low effort.

[@patgeh794]

Username checks out, Tactless Guy! :) There's nothing random or low-effort about this, and particularly not about the myriad of interpretations of it that flower again and again as a new generation of people is confronted with it. The "effort to stand out as unique", which is an effort every artist makes with piece of art (and therefore is quite pointless as an attempted insult), has paid off for this one.

[@TactlessGuy]

@@patgeh794 What I find moronic isn't the attempt to be unique, but the absurdity that results from it. Modern art is the outcome of when all the good ideas have already been used and rehashed. In an ironic way, the meaningless abstract products of modern art only showcase the artists' lack of creativity.

[@celebs007]

I am working on an 8 33 version...........my lifes work

[@clarencegarsula4446]

Dude, do more you have a nice voices really suits your content.

[@itamarferreiradecarvalho487]

Eu quase não ouço John Cage. E quando ouço, não ouço.

[@q8599]

second subsciber................. how is there no more subs

[@calumluke5880]

You know what they say, first the worse, second the best.... Thanks for the sub, New videos coming soon :)

[@richardarcher3435]

For this I'll forget that this ... this ... this whatever it is, is in 3 movements. You see that's the problem for me with this ... thing, what is it? It is called a piece of music, but is it? I have never understood the difference between 4'33" and meditation. John Cage apparently wanted to bring mediation into the concert hall as music but he did virtually nothing to it in order to do that. I could just aswell be at a restaurant with friends whilst a pianist plays in the background and during our conversation I say "Listen!" and my friends stop talking and listen to the pianist. I then say "OK you can stop listening now" and then I declare I have composed a piece of music. I can't see what John Cage has composed. He hasn't composed the music in 4'33". He's done no more than a meditation teacher would say to their pupils. They might say "Every evening find the time to sit still and listen to the sounds around you for 4'33"". THAT is mediation, NOT a musical composition. And what about the so-called performer? Why are they called the performer? Do they perform the music in 4'33"? I declare 4'33" is not a piece of music, it is an instruction. An instruction to meditate. The performer is not the performer but the instructor as to when to meditate and for how long. I think I know what John Cage was getting at but his way of putting the idea across was totally bonkers as it is basically no different to mediation. I think what he should have done is to say that the performer should actually perform by listening intently to the sounds around them, and with whatever instrument they have before them they should occasionally play a note or notes ... BUT ... that note/s should fit in so well with the background 'music' in volume and pitch that if the audience where not looking at them they would not be quite sure if they had actually touched their instrument. THEN you have converted meditation into music.

[@alyxyxzy]

Its like aduience is musican And performer is lisener?

[@jalapenowithanm]

oh i think, just maybe, i could learn how to play this one.

[@melisfun407]

me too!

[@RB-pi9ls]

I performed this in 1970.

[@calumluke5880]

Then you sir are a legend!

[@oootgyooo5954]

hey john cage died in died August 12, 1992 and it said it was one of the most influence uy of the 20th century

[@calumluke5880]

He certainly was. Thanks for your comment :)

[@hanx-musicchannel4862]

subscribe immediately after listening to the first note, i need to know the name of the background music that I fell in love with

[@calumluke5880]

Hey- thanks for the sub! I'll get the details for the song and send it over to you!

[@decafkitkat3892]

How can i simultaneously agree with something while feeling like its 100% pretentious BS at the same time.

[@alanp741]

Ye, on Spotify 4'33" is legit just silence and i was thinking, "wait, is this a joke or Spotify is bugging on my phone again?" So i went to KZbin for a live performance of it

[@NovaMenno]

To me this piece is the perfect representation of the human condition

[@NovaMenno]

In the end I feel, we strive for connection, so Cage hitting us with the blunt scilent nature of connection, we can't force development, so I wish I can be granted time to understand who I am

[@pipebombmailer22]

this was a fantastic video why'd it have to be ur last one?

[@arthurmann578]

The sad thing is is that this is the ONLY song deaf people can ever hear.....unless....to properly experience it....you must have some background noise like a person snorting or your father FARTING ... "silently" at night... in the room next door followed by the chastising "cough" of your mom and your own apparent laughter at said FART.....🙄🙄 PS: I would say that "I thought I heard everything" when I learned about this song, but you can't really hear it, can you now or...because I DIDN'T hear it...maybe I DID hear it after all! 🤔🙄🙄 PSS: This reminds me of the old Batman series on TV when they were having an art contest with the Joker, I believe being one of the contestants. He painted ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on the canvas...and WON the contest! In the words of Jim Morrison of The Doors: "People are strange..."

[@Zelgaro]

I just feel like 4'33 is too long. 1'33 would make more sense, like an interlude. a motif if you will.

[@yellowburger]

I just painted the world's most beautiful painting. Close your eyes and it's whatever you see. Gawd, my genius is staggering.

[@DarkForcesStudio]

Nicely explained. Inspiring.

[@adrenalynnjen]

Okay, I guess. But what Is yoko ono's meaning besides grating against the ear

[@KiraB-b5f]

Noe 488 is my fav song

[@sandipjoshi4162]

❤❤

[@tamarcanady5333]

One could argue Spotify can never accurately play 433. At least with headphones. 433 cannot exist inside a vacuum

[@CottonBud]

Are the stems available for a remix? I'd love to have a crack at it.

[@sleevman]

When the teacher explains an obvious nonsense to the students

[@theretiredandoverworkedkin9333]

I remember trolling my friend to listen to 4'33" when I first learnt about it, me and my whole group ganged up and told our unsuspecting friend to listen to it and to wait for the music to start.

[@nibel13]

This channel should have more subscribers! Im also a "small" youtuber and I know the struggle. This here clip, see; was really good! And I bet if you keep at it subs will come.

[@eyeset2kil]

Whats your channel

[@davepowell7168]

The world tends to intrude on this musical space

[@nielaaronmilano6046]

Salamat christian

[@InsightAndEnergy]

Very enjoyable, focused presentation of this story. 3'37" of quality non-silence.

[@alanclarkeau]

Music - what a crazy thought. It just isn't.

[@amineaitiazza4769]

My life is full of 4'33''s then

[@droberts1593]

Absolutely disagree with the premise that all noise is music. This 'composition' is not music, but noise, to the greater or lesser degree, or the absence thereof. Nothing more.

[@Hydroflame521]

interesting

[@holzpruegel69]

What is the intro song?

[@hamzas3263]

the real reason is he did it to strike every silence part of a youtube video and take benefit of the copyright :D

[@princess6044]

wowww

[@staudinga]

Video works much better muted

[@TimpBizkit]

John Cage collecting royalties from CDR companies.

[@yujiawan779]

We really need 4'33'' in 21 century.

[@calumluke5880]

yes, we need something just as jarring and innovative- we shall have to wait patiently haha

[@Viewer13128]

Scammers have learned from this I see.

[@panayotistountas2702]

For all those who can't stop loughing. Yes 4'33'' is a joke. But a serious one. Think of it in a different way. You are in a bar and suddenly you hear a song that you never liked and suddenly you get it. Why? The context (environment, other songs, cultural infuences etc) in music have the same importance with the music itself. Sex Pistols would be nothing in this era. It's a "music" to rethink music.

[@TheAmazingNightGuy]

4:33

[@kemallo4590]

"make the most meaningful song ever" -ok

[@segmentsAndCurves]

Well, that's true. But it's not a song tho :/

[@dominicportelli7468]

Sounds like a cop-out to me.

[@thefrankonion]

I believe that 4'33" is essentially a gift, a transfer, to the listener. They create the piece.

[@joeheid2776]

Well I must be better than John Cage cause I just composed Theme and Variations on John Cage's 4' 33" and it only took me 2 minutes. 😁😝😜😛

[@Proteus2049]

To go to the end of intellectual masturbation, the composer should have kept silent to any questions about this so called composition... 🤔😂

[@kevinwatkins3856]

This is a musical derivative of a visual artist using duct tape to hold a banana in place on a canvas… And speaks to the stupidy of humankind…. (I was just going to leave some periods in a row for those that respond better to artistic value, but…. thought *some* people might have a better understanding of my point if I used words.)

[@ludwiglta]

The sound of democracy is not as good as the sound of revolution or counter-revolution, tyranny of the composer or the conductor is supreme and virtuous. That is what I learned from this video. Good one.

[@apusapus71]

So many fools, so little music...

[@BreakerLove]

I feel people get John Cage's 4'33'' all wrong. Though it can not be played the same way, there is a way it should be done, And that is fully and properly prepping to play a song as you would any song and holding as you would if you would hold in a song you are playing. No just standing around do nothing, But getting ready to play a note you will never play. This is the correct way to play John Cage's 4'33''.

[@vladektockman808]

ебать, очень стильно, хоть я нихера не понял, но мне понравилось

[@MrFreshbreeze50EnjoyLife]

0-0=0

[@valizeth4073]

Definition of meaningless