<P> The rise of music that is totally without social commitment also increases the separation between composer and public, and represents still another form of departure from tradition . The cynicism with which this particular departure seems to have been made is perfectly symbolized in John Cage's account of a public lecture he had given: "Later, during the question period, I gave one of six previously prepared answers regardless of the question asked . This was a reflection of my engagement in Zen ." While Mr. Cage's famous silent piece (i.e. 4 ′ 33"), or his Landscapes for a dozen radio receivers may be of little interest as music, they are of enormous importance historically as representing the complete abdication of the artist's power . </P> <P> Cage's aesthetic position was criticized by, among others, prominent writer and critic Douglas Kahn . In his 1999 book Noise, Water, Meat: A History of Sound in the Arts, Kahn acknowledged the influence Cage had on culture, but noted that "one of the central effects of Cage's battery of silencing techniques was a silencing of the social ." </P> <P> While much of Cage's work remains controversial, his influence on countless composers, artists, and writers is notable . After Cage introduced chance, Boulez, Stockhausen, and Xenakis remained critical, yet all adopted chance procedures in some of their works (although in a much more restricted manner); and Stockhausen's piano writing in his later Klavierstücke was influenced by Cage's Music of Changes and David Tudor . Other composers who adopted chance procedures in their works included Witold Lutosławski, Mauricio Kagel, and many others . Music in which some of the composition and / or performance is left to chance was labelled aleatoric music--a term popularized by Pierre Boulez . Helmut Lachenmann's work was influenced by Cage's work with extended techniques . </P> <P> Cage's rhythmic structure experiments and his interest in sound influenced a number of composers, starting at first with his close American associates Earle Brown, Morton Feldman, and Christian Wolff (and other American composers, such as La Monte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass), and then spreading to Europe . For example, almost all composers of the English experimental school acknowledge his influence: Michael Parsons, Christopher Hobbs, John White, Gavin Bryars, who studied under Cage briefly, and Howard Skempton . The Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu has also cited Cage's influence . </P>

When the sounds in a composition are left to chance we call this type of music