The pioneering composer and music theorist makes his final on the totality of his work and thought in these three wide-ranging dialogues. “I was obliged to find a radical way to work ― to get at the real, at the root of the matter,” John Cage says in this trio of dialogues, completed just days before his death. This quest led him beyond the bounds of convention in all his musical, written, and visual pieces. The resulting expansion of the definition of art earned him a reputation as one of America's most influential contemporary artists. Joan Retallack's conversations with Cage explore his artistic production in its entirety. Cage's comments range from his theories of chance and indeterminate composition to his long-time collaboration with Merce Cunningham to the aesthetics of his multimedia works. In her comprehensive introduction, Retallack describes Cage’s lifelong project as “dislodging cultural authoritarianism and gridlock by inviting surprising conjunctions within carefully delimited frameworks and processes.” Consummate performer to the end, Cage delivers here just such a conjunction ― a tour de force that provides new insights into the man and a clearer view of the status of art in the twentieth century.

"The relations between eastern and western cultures have long been a neglected topic, and this careful and intelligent look at a small but significant part of those relations is most welcome."--Thomas McEvilley, author of The Shape of Ancient Thought "How wonderful that Jacquelynn Baas has seen the light of the Buddha's smile shining from faraway Asia into the realm of the art of modern times in what we think of as the West! . . . Her work reveals how some of our most influential artists explored and expressed the sophisticated perceptions and joyful energy emanating from the realm of Buddhist Asia."--Robert A. F. Thurman "As a Buddhist scholar and artist I welcome this thoughtful and richly detailed study of how many aspects of Buddhism have stimulated, invigorated, and enriched Western arts over the past 150 years."--Stephen Addiss, author of The Art of Zen "A crucial contribution to modern art studies, this high-spirited text surveys Western artists awakened by the wisdom of the East, from Monet and Duchamp to O'Keeffe to Martin. It is a thoughtful book about thoughtful artists, their values and their visions, with a lot to offer general readers and specialists alike."--Charles Stuckey, Associate Professor of Art History at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Musical Children: Engaging Children in Musical Experiences, Second Edition, is designed for students majoring in early childhood or elementary education, or music education. It highlights the important role music plays in a child’s education and life, offering a practical resource for bringing together music and young children during these important early years. Thirty-seven engaging musical experiences help pre-service and in-service teachers—some who may only have a limited background in music—learn how to make music a part of their students’ daily lives, with strategies that are ideal both in and out of the classroom. Musical Children is an invaluable guide to assist teachers in engaging children in meaningful, joyful, and playful musical experiences. NEW to the second edition: The 2014 National Core Music Standards Updated and expanded prekindergarten chapter Greater focus on music fundamentals Expansion of Dalcroze, Orff, Kodály, and Music Learning Theory approaches Discussion questions and projects for each chapter Addition of an Autoharp®, Chromaharp®, and QChord® instructional unit All 49 audio tracks from the musical experiences now available for online listening, hosted or linked to popular music streaming services A new companion website is home to numerous resources, including all audio files, supplementary notated songs, charts for instrument study, and information on IDEA and children with disabilities.

This important book provides practical guidance for parents, teachers and other early years practitioners who are concerned with young children's musical development.