In July 1973, I got a call from my high school alma mater -- The Interlochen Arts Academy -- inviting me to join other recent Composition Major graduates for a symposium with John Cage.
We were told to bring a tape of one of our compositions -- not too lengthy -- and a sleeping bag.
I arrived at Interlochen filled with deep emotions common to every alumni -- it is a magical place where I spent the best year of my life!
The next morning, I was pleased to see a few friendly faces from my senior year (1970), and others I didn't know. We met Mr. Cage in a large classroom and after the introductions, one by one, we threaded up the reel-to-reel, or cassette tapes in some cases (this is OLD tech, kids!) and played our music. Cage made short pithy comments after each tape. Mine -- a short improvisational work for electric clarinet and keyboards -- solicited a smile and the remark, "that is valuable social music."
Obviously pleased to be done with that business, he loaded us in a bus and we drove for a few hours until we reached the wild untouched world of the northern Michigan pine forest.
Cage had us form a large circle, and proceeded to give a serious lecture on morel mushrooms.
He taught us how to look for them on trees blighted with Dutch Elm Disease, and -- most importantly -- how to be certain we weren't picking any false morels, such as Gyromitra esculenta or Verpa bohemica -- both morel lookalikes which are poisonous!
For the rest of the day, we all went mushroom hunting, filling our little baskets with these weird-looking fungi, as Cage went around checking everyone's haul to make sure that they were all true morels.
Dusk. We made a large circle of rocks and built a campfire. Cage had checked all the morels, which now were placed in a large bucket. Out came sticks of butter and thinly-sliced garlic. JC carefully cut up the morels and put the mixture into a large pot which was then put on the fire.
In a few minutes, we were all feasting on buttery morels. They were delicious!
It got dark. We fed the fire. Some of my compadres started to ask Cage some questions, most of them ridiculous. Cage never gave a verbal answer, only staring back at the questioner, and smiling, devilishly ...
"Why did you write 4'33"?" [if you don't know what that is, click on the link. It is perhaps what John Cage is best well-known for in folks who haven't really bothered to investigate his oeuvre ...]
"What made you decide to invent the prepared piano?" [once again, a ridiculous question -- Cage was inspired by work of Henry Cowell, and simply expanded upon the idea, taking it into new territory ...]
"What do you think of Composer X?" [a question no composer should ever ask of another composer ...]
Still smiling, lips pursed, Cage -- in a very soft voice -- said, "would everyone please shut up?"
Stunned silence. But not complete silence. People were making little noises, shuffling around in their sleeping bags.
But after a few minutes, as Cage looked at each of us with those piercing eyes, a complete silence fell upon the group.
Cage was delighted. The silence was deafening. Suddenly -- far off in the distance -- the very faint sound of an airplane ...
"Now, that's music!" Cage smiled -- a real smile, his eyes wide and gleaming with complete joyous satisfaction.
A wonderful recollection. Thank you, Lew!
Posted by: David Lehman | September 13, 2022 at 11:40 AM