4 Minutes 33 Seconds

This is one of my all time favorite musical compositions. It is one of the most, if not the most, literal representation of out of the box composing. It challenges not only our preconceived notions about music, but about sound in general. 4 minutes 33 seconds was written by John Cage to prove one simple point: there is no such thing as silence. It requires much more from the audience than normal classical or contemporary pieces because it forces the audience to perceive the music being made on a much more ambient level.
Usually, at least in western music, everything is given to you up front and you interpret what you are hearing as it is brought to your attention. With this piece you actually have to key into everything that is happening around you and string them together before you can interpret what you are hearing. The piece is broken up into several movements of varying lengths in which the performer sits at their instrument and waits for the 4 and a half minutes to be up. Other than sitting there turning pages the performer's role in the actual performance is minimal(and by minimal i mean non-existent).

Watch..



The music in this piece is made up of the ambient sounds that occur during the 4 minutes and 33 seconds. A shuffling of the feet, a cough, or the clearing of someone's throat are just a few musical elements that are likely to occur during the performance. Not only can this piece be performed by any instrument it can be performed in any setting: a concert hall, in your home or even outdoors. For some people it is used as a form of meditation and a reminder that music exists in a purer form than just notes on a page. It is a liberating experience that everybody should try at least once. Give this a try the next time you have a spare 4 and a half minutes and let me know what you heard.