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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. In "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?" Cage says if America had Festivals of Contemporary Music, it would look awake like what continent?

2. In the introduction to "Four Statements on the Dance," Cage recalls commissioning the P.E. department at what school to play his music?

3. "Lecture on Nothing" was originally printed in what year?

4. Cage attended a party to which he was not invited and caused the hostess to fetch what drink from the basement?

5. In the introduction to "Four Statements on the Dance," Cage says Bonnie Bird had danced with whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Cage say about change in "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?"

2. What does the author say about modern dance and whether it works?

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

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

5. Where did Cage get the idea to write "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?"

6. How does Cage avoid being psychoanalyzed?

7. 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?

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

9. What happened when Cage told a technician during a recording session what to expect from his music?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore the contradictory nature between Cage's desire to be random but his use of form. How does he show throughout the book that he is dedicated to randomness? What random things does he do? How might his random actions, especially in his presentation on the page, be seen as not random? Is anything really random if it is planned out in advance?

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

What reasons does Cage give for saying America has an intellectual climate suitable for radical experimentation? What does he mean when he says the country knows "nowness"? How does America being a newer country help make it a suitable place for radical experimentation? What ideas does the country tend to reject throughout its history?

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