Newsgroups: bit.listserv.test
Date:         Wed, 19 Aug 1992 13:32:00 -05
Comments:     Warning -- original Sender: tag was SBRHYM-L@SBCCVM
From:         Dana Rollins <ROLLIDE@AUDUCADM.DUC.AUBURN.EDU>
Subject:      JOHN CAGE SAGA
Comments: To: Multiple recipients of list SBRHYM-L <SBRHYM-L@SBCCVM.BITNET>

This was originally posted to another list several months before Cage's
death.  As if anyone were interested, I'm trotting it back out now in a
boorish attempt to capitalize on even the slightest hint of interest in
something/anything that I may be so foolish as to venture.

*******************ORIGINAL MESSAGE************************************
For those who may not be familiar with John Cage, let me give you the
thumbnail synopsis and say he's a famous avant-garde artist, in his
Seventies now, I should think, and best known for his performance art.
His work has included shows where (stay with me now) the spontaneity
of the moment has been carefully considered and "allowed for" in the
piece- such as the time he had a row of babies in high chairs with
different colored helium balloons tied to their wrists, extending above
them to a giant sheet of music paper.  Each colored balloon had a
correspondent orchestra member.  When the baby's movements caused the
balloon to move on the scale, the musician had to play the notes -
follow the bouncing ball, more or less.
I am overjoyed to report that I missed this performance because I
understand that it just never really left the ground.
Cage's classical work is in much the same vein as Charles Ives'
(my back is twitching with the flames I could get for that humble
opinion, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it).  He also leaves
measures blank for the performer to "play anything you want here".
Anyway... I hope you get the picture.
Also, he's a mushroom freak - psychedelic and otherwise.  And a super
nice guy.
Okay, cut to the chase fer Chrissakes!
Back in 19 what?  74?  75?  I was working with the phenomenal Zany
Murphy Band.  One of our two excellent guitarists, Sid Woolfolk, was
teaching classical guitar at Columbus (Georgia) College and received an
invitation to attend a party for Cage, who was giving a performance at
the College that night.  Sid turned me on to a lot of the avant garde
artists and composers, including John Cage, of whom he was a big fan.
He was overjoyed to get the invitation and was told he could bring
friends to the party, which was being given by a student/artist of some
caliber or configuration.
We went to the performance, which consisted of Stage Left - a table and
chair, with a desk lamp, a glass of water and the Tibetan Book of the
Dead.  Oh yeah, and a single piece of blank paper on which had been cut
 a hexagram from the I Ching, thrown (presumably) prior to Cage's going
out to do the performance.  Stage Right - a prepared piano (prepared in
the time-honored tradition of objects affixed to the strikers and
strings - silver dollars, Barbie doll heads, I Like Ike buttons - you
get the idea).  What Cage did was to sit down at the table, turn on the
desk lamp and nod to the audience.  He then took the aforementioned
sheet of hexagram and, placing it over a page of the Tibetan Book Of
The Dead, proceeded to chant only the words and parts-of-words that
showed through the stencil.  And he did this - in a monotone - for
about thirty minutes, pausing to select a new page now and then.  It
was relentless in its manifest gusto.  Then came the historic
intermission where I overheard a Skeptic threaten to "fuck up his face"
if he didn't "hurry up and play that damn piano!"
After intermission, he did indeed play the damned piano, but I
seriously doubt if the thirsty audient found it worth the wait.
It was interesting - I'll give it that - but it wasn't jazz.
Now my story gets up-close and personal - the party!
Bear with me, I must attend to pressing business, then I will
continue...

                        Stop Me If You've Heard This One,
                                                Felonious
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