“I certainly had no feeling for harmony, and Schoenberg thought that that would make it impossible for me to write music. He said, 'You'll come to a wall you won't be able to get through.' I said, 'Well then, I'll beat my head against that wall.' I quite literally began hitting things, and developed a music of percussion that involved noises.”

Quote from an interview in Observer magazine (1982), repeated on several occasions
1980s

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Do you have more details about the quote "I certainly had no feeling for harmony, and Schoenberg thought that that would make it impossible for me to write music…" by John Cage?

John Cage43

American avant-garde composer 1912–1992

Mitch Hedberg (1968–2005) American stand-up comedian

It's just flat." <br class="br">Comedy Central Presents, S01E06: Mitch Hedberg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAHiHJ2AhYE&feature=youtu.be (5 January 1999)

“It's like banging my head against the wall, except if I were actually banging my head on a wall, I'd be able to make myself stop.”

Cassandra Clare (1973) American author

“I got into a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face." I said, "You'll be sorry." He said, "Oh yeah? Why?" I said, "Well, you won't be able to get into the corners very well."”

Emo Philips (1956) American comedian

GQ Magazine - 75 Funniest Jokes of All Time (June 1999)

“Why should I tell you everything about how I feel when you never tell me anything? It's like banging my head on a wall, except at least if I were banging my head on a wall, I'd be able to make myself stop. - Jace Wayland.”

Cassandra Clare book City of Ashes

Jace and Clary, pg. 244
Source: The Mortal Instruments, City of Ashes (2008)
Context: "I wish I could hate you. I want to hate you. I try to hate you. It would be so much easier if I did hate you. Sometimes I think I do hate you and then I see you and I-"
"And you what?"
"What do you think? Why should I tell you everything about how I feel when you never tell me anything. It's like banging my head on a wall, except at least if I were banging my head on a wall, I'd be able to make myself stop."