Just as John Cage used chance techniques to relinquish control in his practice as a composer, he used pedagogical techniques that facilitated shared learning and experimentation. The tenets of Critical Pedagogy, as laid out by Paulo Freire in "The Pedagogy of the Oppressed," offer insights into the structures and strategies implicit in John Cage's work as an educator. A survey of accounts by former students of Cage, as well as Cage's writings on education show that Cage's approach to both classroom and individualized teaching was characterized by the principles of co-intentional dialogue, praxis, holistic engagement, and an awareness of education as a moral and political act. Critical pedagogy, which clearly articulates and generalizes these principles, therefore offers an analysis that makes it possible to separate John Cage's innovations in music pedagogy from his personality and aesthetics, rendering them available for further development and application.