Silence | Teen Ink

Silence MAG

October 25, 2008
By Anonymous

Silence. A subtle ostinato of coughs begins; whispers fill the concert hall. Some guy breathes as if his trachea is seized in a death grip. Thousands of uncomfortable people shuffle. They’re conscious of every sound: every high-pitched ring in their ears, every low beat of their hearts. Meanwhile, the trumpeters are frozen, their lips silently kissing their mouthpieces. The violinists sit in suspended motion on the stage, as if space and time do not exist. The conductor stands, his baton ready, as still as ever.

Those in the audience who know nothing of composer John Cage’s “4'33” fail to understand the silent symphony gracing their ears. It is a composition of no notes – only the seemingly insignificant rustlings of the concertgoers make up the score.

As a violinist, I originally thought Cage was insane. I have spent years appreciating intricate classical melodies. Who would compose four minutes and 33 seconds of ­silence? How is that music? When I first heard about the piece, I was annoyed that anyone would waste five minutes that could be devoted to sweet, melodic music.

I was mystified by the piece until I realized that silence is one of the most important aspects of my life. Wordless moments – when the TV is off, when I’m snug in my bed with a book, when everything stops – are when I feel truly at ease. Every care or worry in my day dissolves like Alka-Seltzer hitting water. I’ve discovered that time spent in silence allows me to deconstruct my life and think about simple things.

I realized Cage is the master of making something out of nothing. In music, I was always taught that rests are not empty spaces in a piece; they should be played as if they are notes themselves. Rests are not empty moments devoid of thought. They are moments to count, to breathe, to absorb the ­impact of the phrases just played.

Every Thanksgiving, my family starts the feast with a silent prayer – our own real-life rest. Every year we say our thanks then bow our heads. Since my grandfather, the rock of the family and most honorable man I’ve known, passed away nearly three years ago, silence has been the most meaningful language my family can speak. The silent “conversations” at holidays have taught me much about the strength and stam­ina of the human condition. As we stand holding hands, crowded in my grandmother’s living room, lighting candles to honor the twinkle Papa always had in his eyes, silence is the perfect tribute for a powerful love lost. It instills more hope in our hearts than any poorly constructed words.

As I begin to make the largest transition in my life, I will remember John Cage’s “4'33” when life seems too hard, too hectic, or too meaningless. I will sit in my own symbolic concert hall, making symphonies out of my thoughts, learning everything about myself in total silence.



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This article has 12 comments.


Peacock said...
on Jul. 18 2011 at 12:51 pm
Peacock, St. George, South Carolina
0 articles 10 photos 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.<br /> -Confucius

That... Was amazing.

You have quite a way with words. This particular piece just flows into the air and surrounds the reader with your images.


on Jun. 21 2011 at 5:11 pm
Anna-Akua SILVER, Taunton, Massachusetts
9 articles 0 photos 38 comments

Favorite Quote:
But the funny thing about it is I ain&#039;t even start yet<br /> I&#039;m only using my mind I ain&#039;t even use my heart yet<br /> I just evolved I ain&#039;t speaking theoretically <br /> -Keys &quot;Dear Dummy&quot;

wow! thats just sooo good! and descriptive! You have a blessed gift with words!

on Jul. 27 2010 at 1:48 am
Wow, this was great. (: I'm a violinist too, and I thought portrayed the importance of silence perfectly in this piece.

on Jul. 18 2010 at 1:16 am
SanjanaMalhotra BRONZE, New Delhi, Other
4 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Very well written!

I would really appreciate it if you could read my work and give feedback - TeenInk.com/fiction/realistic_fiction/article/216122/Silent-Voices/


reesha SILVER said...
on May. 22 2010 at 2:52 pm
reesha SILVER, Rawalpindi, Other
6 articles 15 photos 124 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.&quot;<br /> Walt Disney<br /> <br /> &quot;Hakuna Matata!&quot;<br /> Lion King<br /> <br /> &quot;The British policy was &#039;unite and conquer&#039;. But I say &#039;unite and conquer&#039;.&quot;<br /> Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea)

this was really interesting. Now i truly appreciate silence.... Good job!!

on Apr. 8 2010 at 6:21 pm
Zithia PLATINUM, Cambridge, Massachusetts
27 articles 16 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;It makes no difference who or what you are, old or young, black or white, pagan, Jew, or Christian, I want to love you all and be loved by you all, and I mean to have your love.&quot; -Victoria Woodhull

Cool!  I love things like twists (i.e. music with no sound)!

Mama A said...
on Feb. 1 2010 at 1:17 pm
This piece of writing was very interesting.

MamaD said...
on Feb. 1 2010 at 1:11 pm
I thought it was cool.

girlover said...
on Feb. 1 2010 at 11:53 am
I think that this story was really good it points out a lot of truths about life and it kinda connects to me and some life stories so I really think that you did a good job. :)

on Nov. 5 2009 at 1:00 am
adastraabextra GOLD, Moonstone, California
17 articles 120 photos 110 comments
amazing. i absolutely loved it. great writing too. great job, keep it up!! :)

anotherazn said...
on Aug. 14 2009 at 9:58 pm
Very well written. I enjoy Cage's 4:33 myself =). It is an interesting expansion of the limits of what we thought was "music" - and really gets one thinking about what is music and what is not.

Ken West said...
on Jan. 28 2009 at 8:41 pm
As i read the i really couldnt tell what was teh theme but as i kept reading on it started to come to me and its a real nice story i enjoyed reading it