Not being particularly aware or familiar with this particular work of John Cage, HPSCHD was something I was able to bring a fairly fresh perspective and clean slate to while I read the article. I read and read and read until I was blue in the face, then I LISTENED to the piece. Oops.

I will first address one of the primary passages I noted in the article. Heimbecker states that "As a theater piece it did not tell the story of one "great hero", but created the space for a number of individual narratives not necessarily based on stable language connections, and not necessarily communicable(!)"

The general sentiment of the passage and its context appears to assert that many tend to place a narrative perspective on the piece, both due to it's political implications, as well as the space and time traits of it. Yet Cage insists that HPSCHD is an experiential learning and type of piece, in which listeners will discard predetermined notions and the audience may move freely. Cage also 'does away' with the traditional definition of "symbols" that we all yearn for, insisting that symbols are not filled with a deeper meaning, but works of art, such as his piece are simply "An action which is implicitly nothing."

Then I listened to it. And I can guarantee that listening to it this late at night was not a great idea. If music could be applicable to those "Well, you had to be there..." jokes, this is one of them. Johnny Cage, I had to be there.