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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Cage had a method for bringing about unpredictability where he tossed coins how many times?

2. Into what language was "Composition: To Describe the Process of Composition Used in 'Music for Piano" translated?

3. According to Cage, "Forerunners of Modern Music" was translated into what other language?

4. How long had Erik Satie been dead when Cage wrote an essay about him?

5. In the "Strategy" section of "Forerunners of Modern Music," what term does Cage say "is properly mind-controlled"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Cage describe the creation of "Music for Piano"?

2. What does Cage say about being associated with Dadaism and Zen in his Foreword?

3. What does Cage believe the future holds for sounds that are heard on a regular basis?

4. What happened to Cage when he and Xenia went to New York, expecting to stay with a friend named Max?

5. Describe the anecdote used at the conclusion of "Composition as Process--2: Indeterminacy" about Dr. Suzuki.

6. Why does Cage format "Erik Satie" in a way where he and Satie never hear what the other is saying?

7. How did painter Willem de Kooning respond when asked what painters of the past had influenced him?

8. How does Cage describe the process by which he created a piece of music scored for twelve radios?

9. How has Cage's process of composition evolved?

10. What advancements in music does Cage attribute to Henry Cowell?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the contrast created in Cage's essay which is an imaginary conversation between himself and Erik Satie. Discuss the mathematical presence in Cage's parts in relation to the near-poetic sensibility revealed in Satie's part. Why do you think the author takes this tone for his parts? Do you think he is really so cold about Satie? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

How does Cage compare modern dance to classic styles of dance? What do classic styles have that modern dance lacks? What balance does he say needs to be created for modern dance to work? What point is Cage making about the move to more modern ideas?

Essay Topic 3

Based on the three anecdotes after "Composition as Process--III: Communication," what is Cage saying about having expectations? What expectations are not being met? Does Cage seem to agree with the feelings expressed by the people in his anecdotes? How clear is his message about expectations? What techniques does he use to make his point?

(see the answer keys)

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