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Passage: John Cage’s 4'33", a work in which the performer remains silent for the duration of the piece, is often misunderstood as a simple prank. In reality, Cage intended to draw the audience’s attention to the ambient sounds of the environment—the rustle of programs, the hum of ventilation, or the coughing of a neighbor. By removing intentional sound, Cage successfully challenged the boundary between 'art' and 'noise.' The piece argues that silence does not exist and that all sound, when approached with a focused ear, has the potential to be perceived as music. This philosophical shift was a cornerstone of mid-twentieth-century avant-garde thought. Cage's primary intent with 4'33" was to:

1. Prove that ventilation systems produce better music than orchestras.
2. Prank the audience and test their patience in a concert setting.
3. Refocus the audience's attention on environmental sounds.
4. Demonstrate that silence is the most important part of music.

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