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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. Who wrote "Quantitaten"?

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

3. Who said he loves philosophical debates because no one wins?

4. In what publication did Cage's essay on Erik Satie first appear?

5. One of the questions Cage asked in "Composition as Process--3" was if anyone had seen this man lately?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Cage answer his own question about whether music can be composed without writing it in pencil or ink?

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

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

4. How does Cage think most people feel about experimentation?

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

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

7. Describe what Cage said about the French and the Italians in a conversation he recalls having at a Venetian restaurant.

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

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

10. Why does the author say he is grateful to Richard K. Winslow?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How did Cage once feel about being labeled "experimental"? Why did he feel that way? What has he come to realize about the term? How does he feel about the label at the time "Experimental Music" is written?

Essay Topic 2

What is the significance of the series of anecdotes relating the perspective of various innovators in philosophy and art that only the present is important found in "History of Experimental Music in the United States"? Looking at each of the three anecdotes, what do they have in common, aside from their overall theme? In the article, does Cage ever say whether he agrees or disagrees with these sentiments? How does he seem to feel about the past and the future?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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