This is the next natural step in the evolution of the philosophy behind 4’33”. I would request 2 features be added. 1. Play in background. This way I can let it play continuously if I need to check a message without interruption. Although, philosophically, this may not be true to the spirit of the piece. 2. An option to play all the pieces on the map one after the other in a shuffle mode. So I can hit Play All and it will automatically go to the next recording without me needing to select one. Might be fun.
I have been using this in my 3rd through 8th grade music classrooms to have guided discussions about how different "silence" can sound in different parts of the world. Everyday at the beginning of class we listen to a recording. It inspires their imagination as they try to come up with the location of the recording before i tell them. They also pause to think about what is going on in the world at that particular moment in that particular place. The older students extend these thoughts by adding some background information such as: how does the culture influence the sounds within this "silence?" I have been amazed at some of the things they come up with!!!
It seems like such a simple thing. A four minute and thirty three second musical score with no notes. It sounds like Seinfeld's "show about nothing". But it's more than that. Read the background info to get some context. Listen to one of the recordings. It's like a glimpse into four minutes and thirty three seconds of someone's life. Then make your own recording. That's when it gets interesting. It becomes a meditation, a challenge, a performance. So much nothing. But more.
This app is something I've thought about for years. I even sketched out a similar design at one point but lacked the time to build it. Thank you for making this!
So much joy in listening to people around the world share their lives. Would like to be able to save a list of favourites to a separate library, or some kind of playlist for later listening.
Create a performance of John Cage's 4' 33" and share the results with the world. Listen to the more than 2,500 performances that have already been created.
