There is something profoundly sad about this story a friend emailed me this morning. It's an oldish story from April last year, but yeah, it says alot about us.

Quote
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman
threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston and the seats averaged $100 each.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

Here's the full story:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html?referrer=emailarticle

I youtubed for a full recording of his performance, but came across this instead. It's really sad how jaded we are.



Mina.

Beautiful story.
However, those people who passed probably wouldn'tve had time to sit in the theater on their way to work or other obligations either.
I might've noticed it was beautiful, but if I had somewhere to be, I wouldn'tve stuck around, even if he had a sign saying who he was.

I read about this a few months ago. I played the streets in my early years as a musician, morning rush hours aren't good times to draw a crowd, nobody has time to stop and listen, even if they like your music.

Z

This is the same sort of dynamic that has allowed me to pass as female.  People are busy with their own lives and just don't notice.

Yeah, I know you're all right about everybody being busy and stuff, it's still just sad that we live in such a very rushed world that can't stop to appreciate glorious things, and I kinda wonder how much I miss on a day to day basis.

Mina.

Quote from: mina.m->-bleeped-<-ie link=topic=53359.msg331414#msg331414 date=1231768020
Yeah, I know you're all right about everybody being busy and stuff, it's still just sad that we live in such a very rushed world that can't stop to appreciate glorious things, and I kinda wonder how much I miss on a day to day basis.

Mina.

Yeah, I wonder that too. Even during leisure time, I probably miss a lot because my head is constntly racing.

Another case of sad, but true.

This story overwhelmed me at parts, that 'slap in your face' way. I was particularly struck when people interviewed said this would not happen in other countries.

I wonder if the results would differ, say if they tried this on a Sunday afternoon.

I listen to people play in the bart/muni stations.  I've talked to them, and they like doing it, not for the money, but for the accoustics.  If they wanted, they could go up one level, to the cable car turnaround, and make a lot of money, but if you are playing for commuters in the AM, people have places to be, people to do, butts to sniff like any other dog. 

So a lot of this is a fake set up.  Washington D.C. is one of the most competitive places on earth.  If you want to show up late for work, you really want to be working on your resume.

I take the time to listen, when I have the time.  But if I'm on my way to a show, I'd run over your grandmother not to be late.

That reminds me of this:

They knew he'd never be on their TV, so they passed his music by.



(Actually, I'm pretty sure that when NPR did a story on that, they cut to the next story with this song.)

This isn't really a story about how sad things are.  It's a story about how if you want to make money as a musician, don't go to a place where people are going to work, rather than play.

Whether or not work is so important that you can't stop five minutes to listen, is another argument entirely.  But contrary to what the article writer might want you to believe, there are things in this world more important than beauty.  Like, a house.  And a bed.

Mina -- the video you posted also reminds me of this:

                                                                                   Always Love,
                                                                                   Heather Rose   

At rush hour in the Metro, at Grand Central Station or in the Hackensack Mall you're not likely to have people stop and listen and watch while Joni Mitchell plays a grand piano and sings and Josh Berg plays violin, or fiddle, to back her.

Industrial-techonological cultures are driven by industry and technology -- not music. It's about as VeryGnawty suggests: a matter of Maslow's hierarchy of needs being met. But in the Parc de Montjuic at Midsummer the tourists in Barcelona would stop to hear. As they probably would at all of the above places as well. -- Tourists in the Hackensack Mall!!! 

Time and circumstance....

Nichole

Noise pollution is pollution no mater what is making the noise. Times Square has 90DB as 180 DB will drive you crazy. No wonder city people are half crazy.

Quote from: lisagurl on January 13, 2009, 08:15:59 AM
Noise pollution is pollution no mater what is making the noise.

I'll agree with this.  When there is already enough noise, anything beyond that is just more noise.  That's why I prefer restaurants that don't have music playing.  It is already noisy enough from all the people talking.  Music just makes it worse, regardless of how good the music is.  (Besides, we all know the restaurant business has no taste in music)

Quote from: VeryGnawty on January 13, 2009, 12:17:55 PM

Quote from: lisagurl on January 13, 2009, 08:15:59 AM
Noise pollution is pollution no mater what is making the noise.

I'll agree with this.  When there is already enough noise, anything beyond that is just more noise. 

This was my first response to the story, but I wasn't going to try to inflect my opinion of "noise" where a human nature study was being deliberated. I, too, have less then respectful regard towards what interferes with my own Peace,. But, the story is about what catches the eye/ear of the passerby. I like all music, and all the names and faces often elude me because I listen to what makes me feel good, and do not collect much music anymore.
Violens aren't my fave arrangments, but I like to think I would have at least noticed this, for the performance was good. C'mon, whodda thought he was playing a 3.5mil$ fiddle?

you just need the right place and time.

every sunday afternoon a violinist plays outside the shop were i work, he's not great. he plays the same six pieces every week. He makes over a hundred pounds a day.

according the current exchange rate, that's about $150 USD. Sounds like good take home here, and in the UK.

Quote from: Pica Pica on January 13, 2009, 07:32:06 PM
you just need the right place and time.

every sunday afternoon a violinist plays outside the shop were i work, he's not great. he plays the same six pieces every week. He makes over a hundred pounds a day.

I'd come and play that corner for 100 pounds a day! And I know more than 6 tunes too.

Z

I never thought of the buskers as noise pollution.