John Cale took the survey in The Guardian. The English newspaper runs the survey in partnership with Create and Goldsmiths university. The latter is Cale's old school. They bestowed him with a Honorary Fellowship in 1997.
About his experience in the industry:
My classical training was the genesis for hard work and practice. Understanding you must learn the basics and practice to make them your own. Knowing the “how” is an important edge when I started working in the avant-garde, and the Velvet Underground and beyond. Working in the avant-garde set me up well for the recording industry – while a student at Goldsmiths I longed to push beyond my classical teachings, wishing to move into the avant-garde where I could be a part of new music, something yet to come. That premise has never stopped. To this day, it’s what I must do each day: create music beyond the premise set before.
