1199: Silence

2013-04-19T21:10:29Z

152.117.236.87: Clarified the title text explanation.

{{comic
| number = 1199
| date = April 15, 2013
| title = Silence
| image = silence.png
| titletext = All music is just performances of 4'33" in studios where another band happened to be playing at the time.
}}

==Explanation==
''{{w|4'33"}}'' is a 1952 composition by American avant-garde composer {{w|John Cage}} consisting of four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence. More specifically, 4'33" consists entirely of faint ambient sounds coming from the environment, while all the players silently hold their instruments. The noise of the audience is considered part of the composition. It is Cage's most famous work, and the subject of many music jokes. (PSA: John Cage wrote plenty of other [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fPSz-o4zzY non-silent things].)

[[Megan]] is using an app on her smartphone that analyzes music that is playing and uses an online database to figure out what it is (popular real-world examples include {{w|Shazam (service)|Shazam}} and {{w|SoundHound}}). She does this in an empty room, correctly matching ''4'33"''. ([[Cueball]] attempted to use the same app in [[1192: Humming]], but Megan hacked it there.)

The title text refers to the fact that since 4'33" is composed of the ambient sounds in an environment, if that environment is a recording studio, the ambient sound is a band playing another song.

==Transcript==
:[Megan is walking with a phone in her hand.]

:[Megan stops.]

:[Megan raises her phone.]
:Phone: Identify song recorded
:Phone: > LIVE [Beta]

:[Megan is in an empty room.]
:Phone: Listening...

:[The phone screen.]
:Positive match:
:'''4'33"'''
:'''John Cage'''

{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Music]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1199: Silence