New York Public Library celebrates John Cage with user submitted videos

During his life John Cage helped provide the world with unique ways of looking at music — the most famous of which is probably his composition 4’33” — and now the New York Public Library is creating an equally unique way to honor his career. Called John Cage Unbound: A Living Archive, the project includes a collection of his manuscripts and a series of videos featuring interpretations of his work, but there’s also an interactive element. The library is inviting people to submit their own performances of Cage’s work and, hopefully, a discussion on why he was so influential — and it doesn’t matter what you play. “Do you pluck a cactus?” the NYPL asks. “Slam the lid of a piano? Crumple a piece of paper?” Everyone is welcome to submit, and considering Cage’s belief that anyone can make music, we imagine he’d approve.