"The Future of Music: Credo" by John Cage

I chose the article "The Future of Music: Credo" by John Cage because I like how he described the noises which we hear in the world around us as musical instruments. I think it is an interesting way to look at the sounds which we hear everyday in nature. The wind, the waves of the lake, birds chirping, and cars rumbling are all part of a massive symphony. It shows how beautiful the sounds of the world are. This also bears light on the idea that we as humans take nature's sounds for granted. We are too invested in our own concerns and desires to give any thought to what is occurring in our surroundings. We miss out on the music that the sounds of nature have to offer.

One of Cage's main points is that the sounds of nature is not too different from actual music. Natural sounds are being compared to instruments. Cage says, "we can compose and perform a quartet for explosive motor, wind, heartbeat, and landslide." Cage also discusses how percussion music is related to the noises of the world: "Any sound is acceptable to the composer of percussion music; he explores the academically forbidden "nonmusical" field of sound insofar as is manually possible." Another main point which Cage considers is in composing music, music puts emphasis on the group and incorporating the individual into the group. Music is of many parts. Furthermore, music is like a clock composed of many different components each working together to make that clock function.

The ideas in this article are relevant to my practice as a media artist because these ideas make me realize that the sounds that I will use to establish my final project are all part of a symphony. It motivates me to create something beautiful with the sounds I have collected. The article encourages me to combine the sounds in a harmonious manner so that they will have a glorious sound in the end.