This listening session presented by music therapist Jordan Elias centers on the concept and experience of uncertainty within fixed structure.

We will listen closely to four selected works by composer John Cage spanning his career to reflect on the role of chance in the compositional process. Jordan will help us connect Cage’s choices to current thinking on monotropism, sensory prediction, and self-regulation through repetition as reflections of how neurodivergent minds process pattern, prediction, and unpredictability.

The session will close with a guided live group sound experiment. Everyone in the room is invited to join, using score cards inspired by Cage’s piece Four². No musical background is required. Listeners can also choose to continue listening only.

The listening session starts 20:05 and lasts ca. 90 minutes. We listen together in silence. The host will announce when the listening session starts and ends. In the back of the space there is a smaller area which will have the sound of the listening session but from where you might not be able to see the speaker or join the conversation.

The volume of the music during the session is higher than background music, but not as loud as a live concert. The space has dimmed lighting and low visual stimulus, acoustic paneling to reduce added noise or reverb, and two non-gendered bathrooms with their own sinks. The entrance door is very heavy and opens outwards. The seating is wooden school chairs and a few wooden benches. You can also stand if you prefer. If you want to take a break during the event, we will keep the backyard open as a low-sensory, green area, but we ask not to go there to talk and drink. The space fits approximately 60 people sitting and 30 people standing.

Drinks can be ordered and picked up at the bar. Drinks can also be ordered quietly during the session. Tap water is always available at the end of the bar. You can find the menu here.

There is no entrance fee. We do not take reservations and seats are self-allocated. If you arrive before 19:45, you should have no trouble getting a seat. We open at 19:00. Find more information about accessibility here.

If you have any questions ahead of time, write us at hola@migas.berlin.

Photo: Shannon McInnes