John Cage

• Music is a means of rapid transportation. John Cage

• Nothing is accomplished by writing a piece of music.
  Nothing is accomplished by playing a piece of music.
  Nothing is accomplished by hearing a piece of music.
  Our ears are now in excellent condition. John Cage

• If someone says can’t, that shows you what to do. John Cage

• I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones. John Cage

• The act of listening is in fact an act of composing. John Cage

• When you make music you are acting as a philosopher. You can either do that consciously or you can do it unconsciously, but you’re doing it. John Cage

• I don’t enjoy being pushed while I’m listening. I like music which lets me do my own listening. John Cage

• Everything I see is something I haven’t memorized. John Cage

• There was a time at a concert where this young boy and his father were in front of me. Stravinsky was conducting.
  
  The son turned to his father and said, "Dad, that isn’t the way it goes." [laughs]
  
  He was unable to listen because of his memory! John Cage

• I haven’t yet heard sounds that I didn’t enjoy, except when they became too musical.
  
  I have trouble, I think, when music attempts to control me. John Cage

• "That’s noise!" some shrieked.
  
  "That’s life," Cage shrugged. John Cage

• Let sounds be themselves rather than vehicles for man-made theories or expression of human sentiments. John Cage

• When I’ve found that what I’m doing has become pleasing, even to one person, I have redoubled my efforts to find the next step. John Cage