John Cage

People like Arnold Shoenberg, who rose to prominence with his atonal works, always impress me. These classically trained musicians (Schoenberg and Cage) use their talents to create something completely against the grain. Instead of creating typical music within the Western music canon, they break convention and create something that requires real awareness and thinking. Just like the classically trained Picasso, Cage uses his talents to test his listeners. While I would never have Cage blasting on my iPod, I do enjoy to watch and listen to his stuff from time to time.