Inspirations - John Cage

A guiding force of embracing your true self.

When I was a teenager, I bought a book about the composer John Cage entitled The Roaring Silence, written by David Revill. At that time, I had never heard Cage’s music but I had seen his name mentioned in several books that I read. It was clear that he was incredibly important to people in the avant-guard and experimental art and music world. I was struck by how brave Cage was and how boldly ambitious his concepts were. I was incredibly moved by a statement of his that has stayed with me my entire life:

“Two people making the same kind of music is one music too many”.

To me, this was an overwhelming thought and an incredibly daunting task. How could a person believe that they could approach creating art so ambitiously, to possibly create a whole new music? Over time, I realized that since no two people are alike, if you work towards your music being a true expression of yourself then yes, you’ve created music that no one else has. I took this Cage quote as a cautionary statement, to avoid following another person’s path too closely. I also saw it as inspiration, as encouragement to push myself. I began to reflect on my work, to see if it really was written in my own voice. I asked myself—is there another way that I can say what it is I’m trying to say, something that is different than the last song I wrote? Every time I make something, am I pushing my creativity in some manner?

It can be tempting to follow or emulate someone, and it can be scary and confusing to be on your own. At this point in my life, I don’t worry about whether or not I’ve ever created something groundbreaking or how people will react to it. I only focus on trying to create a stronger path between what is inside of me and what I create. As I improve in recognizing and embracing all that I believe is unique in myself, I continue to feel more confident in everything I write.

Another lesson that I learned from Cage was how he focused on what he viewed as his strengths rather than his weaknesses.

Here is an excerpt from An Autobiographical Statement, which Cage wrote in 1990 regarding his studies with master composer Arnold Schoenberg:

When I asked Schoenberg to teach me, he said, "You probably can't afford my price." I said, "Don't mention it; I don't have any money." He said, "Will you devote your life to music?" This time I said, "Yes." He said he would teach me free of charge. I gave up painting and concentrated on music. After two years it became clear to both of us that I had no feeling for harmony. For Schoenberg, harmony was not just coloristic: it was structural. It was the means one used to distinguish one part of a composition from another. Therefore, he said I'd never be able to write music. "Why not?" "You'll come to a wall and won't be able to get through." "Then I'll spend my life knocking my head against that wall."

Rather than feeling as though his only option was to continue trying to build his feel for harmony, Cage looked within himself. He embraced rhythm, silence, conceptualism, finding a truly unique and groundbreaking way of approaching everything he did.

It took me a long time to figure out who I was as an artist. I loved Liberace because of the showmanship. I loved Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan because of their rawness, emotion and power. I loved Steve Vai and Joe Satriani because of their technical virtuosity. I loved Derek Bailey for his mind blowing approach and sense of melody and harmony. Vernon Reid for his melding of free jazz and rock. Jim Hall for his perfect sense of minimalism. The list of those who inspired me goes on and on. At one point or another, I thought I wanted to be each one of them. I thought—if I could do what they do, that would be a good life.

But, then I would always hear John Cage in my head:

“Two people making the same kind of music is one music too many”.

This made me feel the deep importance of finding out who I really was. It helped me build up my confidence to push on and believe in myself whenever I would hear that voice inside ask, Is this good? Is this even music?

Remember that no one is ever going to be a better you than you. Make music that is unique to yourself, music that makes you happy, music that is honest and real. Be brave. Art has given us all so much. Give back to that spirit by sharing who you really are.