Beautiful Noise
The Music of John Cage
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Open this unique picture book and meet John Cage, the pioneering, inspiring composer who believed all sound—from the crash of a slamming door to the whirr of a blender to the whoosh of the wind—was music.
For John Cage, music was everywhere: in the hum of the refrigerator, the screech of a garbage truck, the patter of the rain. But other people disagreed. They felt that, surely, a pianist on stage must actually play their piano to create music...not just sit there. And in no way was it melodic to turn a musician's mic on and off as they do play their instruments--it was just chaos!
John Cage found sound in silence, and knew that all noises were unique. All you had to do was listen to hear it.
Told in second person and paired with exciting illustrations as innovative as Cage's music, here is a picture book--perfect for any budding musician--that celebrates the genius of a nonconforming musician who always stayed true to his artistic vision.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Forgoing biographical particulars, Rogers carefully details the perceptive work of American composer John Cage (1912–1992) with a survey of his inspirations and performances, inviting readers to contemplate the concept that "any noise could be beautiful." Framing the story with a recurring "What if..." ("What if you composed a piece of piano music/ without any notes"), onomatopoeic lines create a sense of Cage's unconventional music ("blenders and juicers and washing machines/ all whirring and spinning and swishing and sploshing/ onstage"), and underscore his determination to explore sound despite criticism. In digitally rendered illustrations that employ striking vertical and horizontal lines, Na exhibits sound through vibrant colors and bold shapes against line art backgrounds, varying the style of each spread and increasingly warping the flat perspective as Cage experiments, fittingly representing his inventive music and spirit. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Creators' notes conclude. Ages 4–8.
