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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. Cage says he remembered Robert Rauschenberg's black paintings from what state?

2. In "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?" Cage recalls going to a Candlelight Concert for what holiday?

3. "On Robert Rauschenberg, Artist, and His Work" was completed it what year?

4. How many days did it take Cage's friend to sort through a box of spices and foods that had become mixed up in transit?

5. Cage and his friend accidentally steal what item of clothing from a party to which he was not invited?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. How is the essay "Lecture on Nothing" formatted?

3. How does the author think music will evolve in regard to percussion instruments?

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

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

6. How does Cage think an evolution of music due to percussion instruments will affect dancers and choreographers?

7. Describe the process Cage using for writing "45' for a Speaker."

8. What does Cage say about silence at the end of "45' for a Speaker"?

9. What does Cage say about classical ballet?

10. What does Cage say about the form of "Where Are We Going? And What Are We Doing?"

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

How does Cage compare modern dance to classic styles of dance? What do classic styles have that modern dance lacks? What balance does he say needs to be created for modern dance to work? What point is Cage making about the move to more modern ideas?

Essay Topic 3

In Part 3, the author asks "What has been composed?" because so much is determined randomly. Why do you think Cage asks this question? Does he seem to be undermining his own work as a composer? What point is he trying to make about the relationship between creating and being random?

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