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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. How long did it take Cage to read the "Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna"?

2. Cage says what kind of music is revolution?

3. In "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?" Cage recalls asking if there was music played during meetings of what religion?

4. What item of clothing did Cage wear to visit the dentist, which the dentist asked him to remove?

5. "Goal: New Music, New Dance" was first published as part of a series in what publication?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the third layer of "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?", what does Cage say about where "we are going"?

2. How does Cage say "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?" should be delivered?

3. What does Cage say about the title of his article called "2 Pages, 122 Words on Music and Dance"?

4. Why did Vera Williams' children cry when she served them mushrooms on their steak?

5. What does Cage suggests that Morton Feldman felt about opposites?

6. How did Cage come to be in possession of a coat belonging to Ms. Reis?

7. What does Cage say on the subject of poetry in "Lecture on Nothing"?

8. What does Cage say about the form of "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?"

9. In the fourth layer of "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?", what does Cage say about moving into the field of experience and being?

10. What does Cage say about silence at the end of "45' for a Speaker"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore Cage's concern with his own creative process in relation to his concern with what the audience receives? When do you first get a sense of Cage's concern with experimenting with process? What does he seem most concerned with? Why might he feel this way? How does this prioritization relate to his overall non-traditional approach to creating?

Essay Topic 2

In Part 3, the author asks "What has been composed?" because so much is determined randomly. Why do you think Cage asks this question? Does he seem to be undermining his own work as a composer? What point is he trying to make about the relationship between creating and being random?

Essay Topic 3

Explore the author's dedication to innovation and change as seen through his layout on the page. What are some of the techniques Cage uses when writing? What different visual styles does he use? Why do you think he does this? What is he trying to say with his non-traditional style of writing?

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