This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment I like the concept of "found sound", i.e. the sound something makes in = itself...hitting it, plucking it, whatever. I've seen several bands m= ade up of new instruments...kitchen sink gongs...some amazing sounds. = Put that together with a score and it IS music. There was a time I c= ouldn't stand John Cage but I'm finding myself getting more open to try= ing things for what they are... I'm less impressed with artists throwning paint at a canvas and calling= that art, ala Pollock but I'll probably come around to that also...;-]= David I. Original message From: "Fred Sturm" To: caut Received: 10/5/2005 5:58:48 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] John Cage, "The Earth Shall Bear Again" On 10/5/05 11:36 AM, "Jeff Tanner" <jtanner@mozart.sc.edu> wrote: Question is this: the instructions give exact distance from the damper= to place the screws, bolts, etc. How much does piano make and model a= ffect what Cage was after? (I mean, really, was there really a method = to his madness? or was this guy just really doing some serious d-basing= ?) When he says "bamboo", is it a "slice" of large bamboo or a "tube" = of smaller diameter bamboo (like what he was using to snort coke? maybe= a doobie holder?)? green or dried? and what is usually used for the = "plastic" weaved around the low A, Bb, and B? Drink straw maybe? (see = snort) No. I'm sorry. I just can't take this music form seriously. But some p= eople want to give it merit. Jeff Hi Jeff, Cage can be a bit of a puzzle. Sorry, I don=92t know the specific p= iece in question. Usually the instructions say =93approximate distance = from dampers.=94 (Sometimes they just say what note). To be =93Cagean=94= about it, try it out and see what it sounds like. Then shift it a bit = and see what that sounds like. Have an open mind and ear, and make a de= cision based on what works. Yes, of course the make/model/scale (mostly= length) will have an effect =96 where along the string the object is, = what overtones are enhanced/suppressed. I suspect Cage worked at his ow= n piano, which I guess would have been a small grand, maybe 5=926=94 to= 6=922=94 (pure speculation on my part). Bamboo I would probably interpret as a piece of cheap chopstick. Bu= t I=92d need to have the context. Think 40=92s and 50=92s. What was rea= dily available to folks then? Plastic? A straw would be a good guess. See what effect it has. May= be something thicker and harder would be needed to have a noticeable ef= fect. Might be nice to find a recording to see what it sounds like and tr= y to match. Margaret Leng Tan is an excellent Cage specialist, probably= recorded his complete works for piano. You might ask Alan Eder, at CalArts, <ReggaePass@aol.com>, for furt= her advice. You can ask him in person at next summer=92s institute in R= ochester, but I guess that=92ll be too late for this particular project= <g>. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico PS A good deal of Cage=92s music, well-played, is great stuff IMO. Ther= e is a bit of balderdash too, and it got more press, being =93outrageou= s=94 and whatnot. I=92m particularly fond of his Sonatas and Interludes= for piano. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/08/26/f0/29/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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