5 September 2012, 5:00 p.m.

Moderator: Krzysztof ‘Arszyn’ Topolski

Listening workshops being held on the 100th anniversary of the birth of John Cage. In 1951, the American composer John Cage visited the anechoic chamber at Harvard University. He had expected to hear silence, but heard two very distinct sounds – one low and one high. The engineers in charge of the chamber explained that the low tone was the sound of the blood circulating in his veins, and the high sound was his nervous system in operation. This visit proved to be the main inspiration, next to Robert Rauschenberg’s white paintings, for creating one of the most famous and groundbreaking compositions in music history – 4’33”.

During the workshops at the Laznia CCA, participants will perform the song 4’33” together, which will provide an excellent introduction to the practice of listening. Participants will also practice a number of other means for enhancing the ability to listen to a natural acoustic environment, inspired by the study of soundscape and acoustic ecology.

Note! Applications for participation in the workshop should be sent via email to: dzwiekowiska@laznia.pl by 30 August 2012. The workshops are designed for children and school-aged youths.