On a monumental day in 1952, John Milton Cage wrote a piece that moved thousands, one that brought tears to my eyes and heaven to my ears. This three movement performance, coined a masterpiece by the one and only music aficionado, yours truly, was breathtaking, heart stopping, a gargantuan leap for the fate of music; the piece titled 4’33”, provided avid music listeners with 4 minutes and 33 seconds of bliss, 4 minutes and 33 seconds of pure musical genius, 4 minutes and 33 seconds of absolute silence. 

Okay, maybe that introduction is a tad on the passionate side, who would describe 4 minutes and 33 seconds of nothing as monumental? I, for one, am an avid lover of silence in a much too noisy world; to get those blissful moments of silence, I often stay up into the depths of the night where the squeaky floors of my house cease to cry and my solitude is only accompanied by the dull hum of my laptop. Thus, as my life has gotten more chaotic over time, I’ve grown a much larger appreciation for Cage’s work and here is why:

John Milton Cage’s 4’33” was praised for being a work of avant-garde erudition, yet its multitude of interpretations remains an enigma: was it mockery? An ode to the artistic Dada period of the time? Is there something that we missed or does he just want our money? And as David Tudor sat in front of the grand piano that evening, all the audience had to do was wait, of course, for nothing. Viewing this piece through a more historical lense, Cage himself was a connoisseur for the abstract, a tall boi but a soft boi who appreciated the minimalism of life, maybe too minimal perhaps. However, after gathering lots of hypotheses, my personal opinion towards this piece saw it as a juxtaposition of simplicity and complexity. Two polar opposites at first, but upon closer inspection, the simplicity of the song (playing nothing) brings out the complexity of what was overlooked all along — the actual lack of silence. Of course, this is at first contradictory statement, the lack of silence that I am referring to is only partly physical, rather more of a mental aspect of self-reflection and metacognition. Members of the audience will suddenly realize their position in a crowd, a sudden awkwardness perhaps, those daring enough overcome their imposter syndrome and let out a much suppressed cough? A quick check of the phone or a nap perhaps? What will they do with their 4 minutes and 33 seconds of time? In those moments, maybe we are not left in true silence, because when in silence, we are left to our own devices, our own thoughts, and a place Sherlock Holmes may call his “mind palace”.  

Self-reflection and self-evaluation have been actions that I wish to partake in for a while, and walking into the silent library on the outskirts of Woodridge, not the mainstream social hub in Downtown, gave me my own 4’33” moment. With no one to communicate with and no earbuds to provide me with the music that I so often depend on, I was left with my own thoughts. Not only has the dead silence atmosphere helped me zoom through my calculations of eigenvalues and eigenvectors, the left over time I had waiting for my ride to come, I got to think about myself for once, and not the impending doom of math. I discovered a love of film from realizing how many analytical videos I’ve watched after watching Jojo Rabbit and Parasite, a new resolution to read and a creation of a must read list, my own insecurities and my own visions of the future. Like Catherine Beard says in her own article of self reflection, “ By taking a moment to pause, reflect, and look within, you’ll find that you actually have many of the answers you’ve been seeking for so long.” And with the acknowledgement of my brain’s jumping thoughts, I developed a new sense of acceptance, one that I will take with myself to bed that night. The value of silence is an unpopular opinion, yes, but also possibly one that has not been considered enough. From that day forward, I chose to study and spend a period of my day in complete quietude.

Whether it be having your own 4’33” moments, or a heavy metal cover of it, silence has proven to be integral for everyday living. And while Cage’s 4’33” lacks Gershwin’s courescating pentatonics and Chopin’s glimmering rubatos, it will remain one of the pieces of music that I enjoy and value the most. Self-reflection and possible self-discovery is not only catalyzed by periodical quietness, a step back from an incessant lifestyle may be just what you may need. So like the common saying goes,  silence truly is golden.