7. 49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs

John Cage: 49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs. From Rolling Stone, October 6, 1977

When Rolling Stone move from San Francisco to New York, American composer John Cage was commissioned by the magazine to commemorate the move. The map is a drawing of 49 triangles, or “waltzes,” with each triangle point corresponding to actual coordinates where at any time or day could listen to the changing sound of the city at a total of 147 sites. An accompanying score lists 147 street addresses for “performer(s) or listener(s) or record maker(s).” The concept essentially makes the city the performer.

The project has lived on on a few platforms since its creation. After Cage’s death in 1992, a colleague made video recordings at each site, subsequently released on DVD. In 2012, Avant Media created an online site where people can upload pictures and audio or video recordings taken from the waltz sites.

Want more fun maps? Check out an NYC subway map “City of Women” that shows a system where every stop is named after women. Or try some more judgmental maps if you’re looking for some humor.