Ian Crisp rises to my clever bait:

>>I do deny that Cage's little piece contains no music whatsoever.  It's a
>>piece full of rests.  Rests are music.
>
>No they're not.  They are one of the components of music.

Hmm.  So therefore a note isn't music either, but merely a component.
How about a group of notes? Is that music? If so, why not a group of rests?
Ian goes on to point out that it's the organization of these components
that gives rise to music.  I agree.  I would, however, contend that Cage
organizes the rests - etremely loosely, I admit, but it's there.  There
are movements and timings, etc.  (although not much of an etc.).

Oh what the hell?  I'm giggling as I write.

An interesting question has always been to me bird song - natural sounds
that many have taken as music, but is it? Do birds sing or call? Does a
bird organize sound or does it simply emit what's been implanted in its
birdy brain for survival? Where's David Attenborough when he's needed?

Bloody-minded Steve Schwartz