There is a piano piece that is one of the most perplexing works in modern music history, yet it holds a status so lofty that music composition students cannot avoid it, and professors frequently lecture on it. It is a watershed moment in modern music: 'Music of Changes,' written by John Cage in 1951. However, most people's first reaction upon hearing it is, 'Isn't this just random banging? One moment it's loud, the next it suddenly stops.' Yet, this seemingly bizarre piece is revered as a masterpiece in modern music. Firstly, because it was written by John Cage—arguably the most avant-garde, radical, and peculiar composer in the world. When writing this, Cage felt that classical music was too narcissistic, with composers constantly expressing their own emotions, thoughts, styles, and aesthetics. He detested this and wanted to do the opposite: to write music that wasn't controlled by humans, letting the music decide for itself. The problem is, how can music write itself? Without a composer, how could it choose its own notes and rhythms? Cage was stuck. He tried flipping coins and throwing dice, but it didn't work—as long as he was the one operating, he remained in control. Finally, he discovered something: the 'I Ching.' That's right, our 'I Ching.' How did an American know about it? It’s a fascinating coincidence. In the mid-20th century, many artists, composers, and thinkers worldwide were deeply interested in Eastern philosophy, finding Western art too focused on the ego and control. They were drawn to the Eastern concepts of flow, change, and chance. It was in this context that Cage encountered an English version of the 'I Ching.' He wasn't pursuing 'Eastern mysticism' for the sake of it; he used the 'I Ching' because its fixed system of 64 hexagrams—represented by solid and broken lines (Yang and Yin)—solved his problem. He used the 'I Ching' to calculate everything: which pitch to use, how long the rhythm should be, and the intensity of each note. So, rather than saying John Cage wrote this piece, it is more accurate to say the 'I Ching' wrote it. It’s exactly like AI today: humans provide the constraints, and the AI model generates the output. John Cage didn't have AI in 1951, but his process was a precursor to it. But the question remains: is this piece actually music?
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