Re: [microsound] our first .microsound poll

[scott allison <lipistal3@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I agree, Cage gets slammed a lot on this list. His influence extends much 
further than electronic music, he influenced and still influences the worlds 
of painting, sculpture, poetry, graphic design, performance art, sound art, 
music, not to mention he was the first western to go into the soviet union 
during the cold war to give a talk about mushrooms (even the soviets loved 
him). Cage really worked to remove the ego as much as possible from art 
making, mostly through the use of chance operations. His contribution to 
western artseems the introduction of chance into art making and intentional 
removal of ego. I would hardly consider him a folk hero, that's simply an 
ignorant statement, Cage was educated and a pivotal figure in the modern and 
post modern art movements (read some of Calvin Tomkins books to learn more). 
Cage provided alternatives to how we listen to sound and developed creative 
performative structures, not just new toys to make sound with, he also 
presented the phonograph cartridge as a musical instrument and thus created 
live electronic music.