John Cage reinvented the way we hear music, using everyday items as tools to change our emotions, thoughts and perspectives. He transformed objects into instruments in a time where objects couldn't be instruments. Cage was trying to show others that you can be as wild and expressive with sound and music as you can with painting or drawing, and it altered the art and music world forever.
Nowadays, it is extremely common to find songs with samples from other songs, movies, television shows, etc., and that can all be attributed to John Cage. His exploration with the norms of musical compositions allowed others after him to have the creative freedom to use non-conventional methods of producing sound. For me personally, the sound that automatically comes to mind is "Soulmate" by Mac Miller. The first minute of the song contains a continuous electronic sound in the background of a sample from the film "Good Will Hunting". It features an excerpt of Robin William's character, and then immediately flows into the first verse of the song. Mac Miller is known for using samples in his music; a more recent example of this is in his song "Blue World" from his latest album. Using unfamiliar or unique sounds allows artists and musicians to explore the level of intimacy, relatively and emotion in a composition.
Another song that comes to mind when discussing samples from other media is "my strange addiction" by Billie Eilish. The song uses bits and pieces from the episode "Threat Level Midnight" in it, and as a longtime fan of the show, I was definitely able to connect with the overall theme of the song. In various interviews, Eilish has consistently talked about her obsession with the show "The Office", which even brought her the opportunity to be interviewed by one the show's cast members, Rainn Wilson.
Both of these examples demonstrate the effect John Cage has left on the music industry, as well as on all musicians and artists overall. Art is subjective, and so is music–Cage was able to carry this message on well past his life, and we still see the impact today.
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