--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Also, I liked John Cage's music. I liked…" description: "\"Also, I liked John Cage's music. I liked it for its craziness, the use of silence, the boldness-anything to get me away from writing about.. I don't kn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a8/kenneth-koch-13952_academic_also-i-liked-john-cage-s-music-i-liked-i_3122950.png" --- # Also, I liked John Cage's music. I liked it for its… ![“Also, I liked John Cage's music. I liked it for its craziness, the use of silence, the boldness-anything to get me away from writing about.. I don't know what academic poets write about.” quote by Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a8/kenneth-koch-13952_academic_also-i-liked-john-cage-s-music-i-liked-i_3122950.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a8/kenneth-koch-13952_academic_also-i-liked-john-cage-s-music-i-liked-i_3122950.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a8/kenneth-koch-13952_academic_also-i-liked-john-cage-s-music-i-liked-i_3122950.png) > “Also, I liked John Cage's music. I liked it for its craziness, the use of silence, the boldness-anything to get me away from writing about.. I don't know what academic poets write about.” [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Koch admires Cage's avant‑garde music for its daring use of silence and chaos, contrasting it with academic poetry's perceived constraints. **In simple terms:** He values experimental, bold art over conventional poetry. Key Takeaway Embrace artistic risk and unconventional forms. Themes creativity art freedom Mood inquisitive thoughtful Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - writing workshops - music appreciation - art criticism Key Concepts avant‑garde silence courage Questions to Reflect On - What does silence add to artistic meaning? - How can we balance tradition and innovation? A Different Perspective Academic poetry may limit creative expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Academic Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic-poets-2831367/) [Boldness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boldness/) [Cage Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cage-music-1262519/) [Cages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cages/) [Craziness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craziness/) [Craziness of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craziness-of-life-39042/) [John Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/john-cage/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Liked Craziness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liked-craziness-5490487/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets-write-390395/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I was part of the sort of avant guard tradition of John Cage and music concrete and pushing back the boundaries of avant garde…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-dudley/i-was-part-of-the-sort-of-avant-guard-tradition-of-john-cage-and/) [Anne Dudley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-dudley/) > [“Insofar as craft and poetics in a poem have a politics, I wanted to avoid that brittle enjambed-prose-sentence-lyric verse, where you have standard sentences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/insofar-as-craft-and-poetics-in-a-poem-have-a-politics-i-wanted-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Cage's Music of Changes was a further indication that the arts in general were beginning to consciously deal with the given material and, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earle-brown/cage-s-music-of-changes-was-a-further-indication-that-the-arts-in/) [Earle Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earle-brown/) > [Craziness attacks the softest eyes and hamstrings the gentlest flanks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/craziness-attacks-the-softest-eyes-and-hamstrings-the-gentlest-flanks/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [I like the idea of craziness with discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-lagerfeld/i-like-the-idea-of-craziness-with-discipline/) [Karl Lagerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-lagerfeld/) > [What would rock and roll be without ambition, craziness, danger, and fun?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wentz/what-would-rock-and-roll-be-without-ambition-craziness-danger-and-fun/) [Pete Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wentz/) > [I did a twenty foot print and John Cage is involved in that because he was the only person I knew in New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-rauschenberg/i-did-a-twenty-foot-print-and-john-cage-is-involved-in-that-because/) [Robert Rauschenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-rauschenberg/) > [I always like to cite John Cage's mantra, "If you can stand it for two-minutes, try it for four." In fact, when I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-rainer/i-always-like-to-cite-john-cage-s-mantra-if-you-can-stand-it-for-two/) [Yvonne Rainer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-rainer/) > [We used to have endless discussions with journalists about that: 'Why are you calling it noise? It's not noise, it's music,' and make references…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-ranaldo/we-used-to-have-endless-discussions-with-journalists-about-that-why/) [Lee Ranaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-ranaldo/) > [Parallels between classical and pop are not new. The whole San Francisco movement of John Cage and Terry Riley went hand in glove with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hazlewood/parallels-between-classical-and-pop-are-not-new-the-whole-san/) [Charles Hazlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hazlewood/) > [“Marietta, I do not believe in ghosts, astrology, palmistry, graphology, John Cage, love or God. I do believe in the moment, in the pleasures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/marietta-i-do-not-believe-in-ghosts-astrology-palmistry-graphology/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I grew up mostly in Champaign, Illinois. My dad was at the University of East Illinois, so I was always around the music. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-hamm/i-grew-up-mostly-in-champaign-illinois-my-dad-was-at-the-university/) [Stuart Hamm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-hamm/) > [“Ideas are one thing and what happens is another.’ (John Cage)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sheppard/ideas-are-one-thing-and-what-happens-is-another-john-cage/) [David Sheppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sheppard/) > [I recall improvisational drummer and composer Michael Evans telling me a story of someone who had the opportunity to meet Cage and give him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grubbs/i-recall-improvisational-drummer-and-composer-michael-evans-telling/) [David Grubbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grubbs/) > ['Untitled' is a time machine that can transport you to 1992, an edgy moment when the art world was crumbling, money was scarce, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/untitled-is-a-time-machine-that-can-transport-you-to-1992-an-edgy/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) ## More by Kenneth Koch > [The subject matter of the stories on the surface... there seem to be a number of stories about travel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/the-subject-matter-of-the-stories-on-the-surface-there-seem-to-be-a/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [When you finish a poem, it clicks shut like the top of a jewel box, but prose is endless. I haven't experienced an awful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/when-you-finish-a-poem-it-clicks-shut-like-the-top-of-a-jewel-box-but/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [It's a well known thing that ordinary perceptions can have a strange aspect when one is travelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/it-s-a-well-known-thing-that-ordinary-perceptions-can-have-a-strange/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [“Summer in the trees! “It is time to strangle several bad poets.” / The yellow hobbyhorse rocks to and fro, and from the chimney…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/summer-in-the-trees-it-is-time-to-strangle-several-bad-poets-the/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [If you want to know how much I love and care for you, count the waves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/if-you-want-to-know-how-much-i-love-and-care-for-you-count-the-waves/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [“Lies belong in poems”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/lies-belong-in-poems/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [I was excited by what my painter friends were doing, and they seemed to be interested in our poetry too, and that was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/i-was-excited-by-what-my-painter-friends-were-doing-and-they-seemed/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [Picasso said once when being interviewed that one should not be one's own connoisseur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/picasso-said-once-when-being-interviewed-that-one-should-not-be-one-s/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [It takes a long time to publish a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/it-takes-a-long-time-to-publish-a-book/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [I love painting and music, of course. I don't know nearly as much about them as I know about poetry. I've certainly been influenced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/i-love-painting-and-music-of-course-i-don-t-know-nearly-as-much-about/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [“I wasn’t ready For you. I understood nothing Seemingly except my feelings You were whirling In your life I was keeping Everything in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/i-wasn-t-ready-for-you-i-understood-nothing-seemingly-except-my/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [I don't think the nature of my poetry is satirical or even ironic, I think it's essentially lyrical but again I don't know if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/i-don-t-think-the-nature-of-my-poetry-is-satirical-or-even-ironic-i/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [“I probably misunderstand misunderstanding itself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/i-probably-misunderstand-misunderstanding-itself/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [“I love you as a sheriff searches for a walnut / That will solve a murder case unsolved for years / Because the murderer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/i-love-you-as-a-sheriff-searches-for-a-walnut-that-will-solve-a/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [As I look over my work, I mean every time I look over my early work, I see, yes, I could do that then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/as-i-look-over-my-work-i-mean-every-time-i-look-over-my-early-work-i/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) [Explore all 48 Kenneth Koch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) ## More Academic quotes > [When I went to college, as much as my parents emphasized academic achievement, they emphasized marriage even more. 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Everett Koop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-everett-koop/) > [Marx, however imperfectly he worked out the details, set himself the task of discovering the law of motion of capitalism, and if there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/marx-however-imperfectly-he-worked-out-the-details-set-himself-the/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [Now know I well what people sought formerly above all else when they sought Teachers of virtue. Good sleep they sought for themselves, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/now-know-i-well-what-people-sought-formerly-above-all-else-when-they/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [An academic discipline, or any other semiotic domain, for that matter, is not primarily content, in the sense of facts and principles. 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