What becomes of writings that are, or once were, dedicated to a chance  support? How do we read or decipher them? Can we cut them loose from  their original support? And how do we bind them together?

https://archive.org/details/OM5LengTanCageSuiteforToy
Cage wrote his Suite for Toy Piano at Black Mountain College in North  Carolina for Merce Cunningham's Diversion. Its five short movements use only nine consecutive white notes. As such it can ostensibly be played on virtually any toy piano, even one with painted black keys. One of the most charming and whimsical of his compositions, it is filled with  Cagean irony and humor, as in the exaggerated dynamic extremes from sffz  to ppp. As if a toy piano could have such capabilities! Nonetheless,  the pianist tries his best and from the effort subtle differences emerge. I would like to dedicate this performance to Schroeder.

- Margaret Leng Tan

“Poor tools require better skills” (Marcel Duchamp)

Erratum Musical, and is dated 1913, the year after Cage was born. In his Catalogue Raisonné of Duchamp's works, Robert Lebel describes it this way: ''Melody for three voices (Yvonne, Magdeleine, Marcel). Notes were drawn at random from a bag in which they had been jumbled beforehand. This composition was played by the family trio." In Robert Lebel, Marcel Duchamp (London: Trianon Press, 1959), p. 165.

"Tools that are no good require more skill".

They are messages from the 16th century that for some reason have survived in Dutch printing jargon. "Spanjool" is a derogative name for Spaniard, reference to the Spanish occupiers of The Netherlands at that time.


[G] Froggie went a courting and he did [D] ride
[G] King kong kitchie kitchie [D] ki-me-o
[G] With a sword and a pistol by his [D] side
[G] King kong kitchie kitchie [D]  ki-me-o [G] 
[G] Ki-mo-ke-mo ki-mo-ke
[C] Way down yonder in a hollow [D] tree
[G] An owl and a bat and a bumble [D] bee

[G] King kong kitchie kitchie [D]  ki-me-o [G]He rode ’til he came to miss mousie’s door
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
And there he knelt upon the floor
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
Ki-mo-ke-mo ki-mo-ke
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
An owl and a bat and a bumble bee

King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
He took miss mouse upon his knee
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
And he said little mouse will you marry me
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
Ki-mo-ke-mo ki-mo-ke
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
An owl and a bat and a bumble bee
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o

Miss mouse had suitors three or four
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
And there they came right in the door
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
Ki-mo-ke-mo ki-mo-ke
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
An owl and a bat and a bumble bee
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o

They grabbed mr. frog and began to fight
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
In the hollowed tree it was a terrible night
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
Ki-mo-ke-mo ki-mo-ke
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
An owl and a bat and a bumble bee
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o

Mr. frog brought the suitors to the floor
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
With the sword and the pistol he showed all four
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
Ki-mo-ke-mo ki-mo-ke
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
An owl and a bat and a bumble bee
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o

They went to the park on the very next day
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
And left on their honeymoon right away
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
Ki-mo-ke-mo ki-mo-ke
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
An owl and a bat and a bumble bee
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o

Now they live far off in a hollow tree
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
Where they now have wealth and children three
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o
Ki-mo-ke-mo ki-mo-ke
Way down yonder in a hollow tree
An owl and a bat and a bumble bee
King kong kitchie kitchie ki-me-o