tangentially OT: CAGE (file under looping influences............LOL)

["Rick Walker/Loop.pooL" <GLOBAL@cruzio.com>]

HI Daryl,

I read your post about reading Cage's biography with interest.

I have always loved Cage.  I even have a first edition copy that I got him
to sign
of 'SILENCE' which would be a fantastic next read after the biography you
mentioned.
He has a whole section of zen parables about mushroom hunting which are
wonderfully
thoughtprovoking.  I love a lot of that book. Another fantastic book along
those lines
is the book 'Zen Bones, Zen Flesh' which I find to be a wonderful book 
about
music
(although it is not specifically about music).  While we are on the 
subject,
the book
"Zen Mind, Beginners Mind" by Suzuki is the BEST BOOK i've ever read about
practising as a musician and how to overcome difficulties with hard
technical practising.  I became
a pretty decent trapset player almost entirely because of the things I
learned from that
book.

I found with Cage that frequently his theories were more intriguing and
stimulating to me
than a lot of his music was , but you have to hear the piece for toy piano
he did that
Lou Harrison composed a symphonic suite to...........just beautiful.
All his prepared piano stuff, too, is awesome.

There's a great Cage retrospective on a two album Columbia set that you
might be able to find somewhere used.

As a joke on my latest CD,  I enclosed a 'hidden' track on the first few
copies
that I call  4'33"  The XTREME MIX.

If you listen to it............it's way quieter than any other version ever
recorded.
;-)

can't wait to read that biography.  my wife works at a bookstore so I'll
order it.

thanks for posting and giving me the chance to reminisce so pleasurably.

yours, Rick Walker