Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/01/2024 *Starred Review* On August 29, 1952, musician David Tudor took a seat on a piano bench in Maverick Concert Hall, started a clock, and played absolutely nothing for 4 minutes and 33 seconds. That moment hangs in the air while the story introduces the composer of the unusual piece, John Cage, as someone who adored inventing new ways of making music, even challenging the definition of “music.” He noticed that even the “silent” moments in the world were filled with a cacophony of natural noises, and he longed to convey this to others. The book returns readers to the concert hall, noting that it made some people furious. But the unusual composition was no joke: 4’33” was a sincere experiment in bringing attention to the something in “nothing.” The utterly enchanting story functions as a brief Cage biography and an intro to an infamous performance, but it acts more as a celebration of the human experience, perfectly capturing the quiet tension of the concert hall and the unusual, exuberant life of the composer. Gloriously sprawling illustrations and lyrical text give the audience permission to contemplate the quiet and the physical space to do so, and even the most boisterous reader will surely sit in silence for a moment. An exceptional exploration of absolutely “nothing” that feels particularly radical in an ever-bustling and connected world. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.