4’33” is John Cage’s most famous work, composed in 1952 for any instrument (or combination of instruments), the three-movement score instructs the performer not to play the instrument for the entire duration of the piece. The first movement is 30 seconds; the second is two minutes and 23 seconds, and the third is one minute and 40 seconds. The work, commonly referred to as “four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence,” consists of the sounds of the performance environment. From February 8-10, the New World Symphony will present a spectacular three-day festival dedicated to the music and ideas of John Cage, "Making the Right Choices: A John Cage Centennial Celebration," and are inviting folks to participate, In addition to three evenings of concerts, NWS will host a video installation "NWS: 4’33”," under creation by artist Mikel Rouse, which will consist of contributed video performances.
Here's how to submit a contribution, which must be received by February 1, 2013.
• Create a video-recording of your own performance. Please adhere to Cage's original timing for each of this work’s three movements—which are 30”, 2'40", and 1'20"—keeping your performance as close to 4'33" as possible. Do not incorporate any sort of verbal introduction.
• Upload your video to YouTube.
• Once your video is live on YouTube, go to the NWS: 4'33" YouTube site and click on the "Subscribe" button. Your video will be screened and added to our Playlist.
Contact NWS433@gmail.com for more information.