Bryars vs. Bailey / Zen vs. Improv:

One of the main reasons I am against improvisation now is that in any improvising position the person creating the music is identified with the music. The two things are seen to be synonymous. The creator is there making the music and is identified with the music and the music with the person. It's like standing a painter next to his picture so that everytime you see the painting you see the painter as well and you can't see it without him. And because of that the music in improvisation doesn't stand alone. It's corporeal. My position, through the study of Zen and Cage, is to stand apart from one's creation. Distancing yourself from what you are doing. Now that becomes impossible in improvisation

Gavin Bryars i Derek Baileys Improvisation - its nature and practice in music, 1980 (s 135-136). Drömmen om den subjektslösa, "rena" konsten - jag förstår verkligen inte attratkionen i detta. (Bryars har sedermera nyanserat sina mer kategoriska anti-improvisatoriska uttalanden.)