By Chen Shunxin

On the evening of November 23rd, Mr. David Whitlock gave the students a lecture about the experimental musician John Cage and his music in Room C103 of Lize Building.

At the beginning of the lecture, Mr. David Whitlock turned off all the lights, and showed students a video, in which the performer openedthe cover ofthe piano and placed the music score into its position. However, he didn''''t play it, just sitting there quietly for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. The video made the students feel confused and they were all ready to listen to the teacher’s explanation carefully.

Mr. David Whitlock explained that John Cage was a famous experimental musicianin America. His "4 minutes and 33 seconds" reminded us that we should learn to keep quiet and listen to the music around us, such as the sound of wind and raindrops, people’s conversations and so on.

John Cage was always associating his music with the real life. His works revealedthatboth life and music were indeterminate. Just like people could not predict the next note in a song, life itself was also unpredictable.

Subsequently, Mr. David Whitlock shared an audio of John Cage, which consisted of a series of storieswith background music. All the students enjoyed theacoustic feast.

The lecture ended with wonderful music. Mr. Whitlock''''s unique way of information presentation in the lecture made the studentshave a deeper understanding of John Cage and his music thoughts.