THE SITUATION
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at ! all.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest 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, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
This experiment raised several questions:
*In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . ..
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?
True story..
True story..
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: True story..
I'm kinda curious about the kids...
Sometimes it seems as though one has to cross the line just to figger out where it is
Re: True story..
My best guess, many adults automatically file classical music under 'boring' and tune it out. Children have not yet been taught to discriminate like that.keld feldspar wrote:I'm kinda curious about the kids...
Why is it that when Miley Cyrus gets naked and licks a hammer it's 'art' and 'edgy' but when I do it I'm 'drunk' and 'banned from the hardware store'?
Re: True story..
Adults that do that are stupid beyond belief.
It is no small wonder that the US is in the shape it is in.
When I was 10, my mum got me a varied collection of assorted classical music. I don't remember exactly what it contained, but I listened to it constantly until I encountered a little singing group from Liverpool, England.
My kids were exposed to classical music from the age of 6.
btw: Love your sig line, Sean
It is no small wonder that the US is in the shape it is in.
When I was 10, my mum got me a varied collection of assorted classical music. I don't remember exactly what it contained, but I listened to it constantly until I encountered a little singing group from Liverpool, England.
My kids were exposed to classical music from the age of 6.
btw: Love your sig line, Sean
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
Re: True story..
Let's see, this performance was,
(1) in a place where all of the potential listeners are in a hurry to get someplace,
(2) not requested or anticipated by anyone,
(3) measured (in one sense) by the amount of money that people spontaneously put into a "jar."
Try this: Put a small add in the local City Paper (tabloid) that an internationally known violinist is going to give a free concert in a comfortable venue two weeks hence.
Then bar the fucking doors - you'll have to.
This little demonstration doesn't demonstrate anything. You have no idea why the passers-by pass by. Are they going to an appointment? Do they hate classical music? Can they hear properly? How many of them could have seen and heard the performance, even if they wanted to? Limited space. Possibly bad accoustics.
I can remember similar situations in my own life. I was walking through a plaza in Frankfurt a couple years ago, on my way to meet someone for lunch, and I encountered a group of soldiers in Russian Army uniforms who were singing songs in Russian. It was a sunny Sunday at noontime. They were fantastic. The best acapela singing I've ever heard.
But I couldn't stop to listen for more than a minute, because I didn't have the cell phone number of my associate. Of course, a lot of people were listening to them and putting money in the "jar," because it was a venue where most of the people were just passing time anyway.
(1) in a place where all of the potential listeners are in a hurry to get someplace,
(2) not requested or anticipated by anyone,
(3) measured (in one sense) by the amount of money that people spontaneously put into a "jar."
Try this: Put a small add in the local City Paper (tabloid) that an internationally known violinist is going to give a free concert in a comfortable venue two weeks hence.
Then bar the fucking doors - you'll have to.
This little demonstration doesn't demonstrate anything. You have no idea why the passers-by pass by. Are they going to an appointment? Do they hate classical music? Can they hear properly? How many of them could have seen and heard the performance, even if they wanted to? Limited space. Possibly bad accoustics.
I can remember similar situations in my own life. I was walking through a plaza in Frankfurt a couple years ago, on my way to meet someone for lunch, and I encountered a group of soldiers in Russian Army uniforms who were singing songs in Russian. It was a sunny Sunday at noontime. They were fantastic. The best acapela singing I've ever heard.
But I couldn't stop to listen for more than a minute, because I didn't have the cell phone number of my associate. Of course, a lot of people were listening to them and putting money in the "jar," because it was a venue where most of the people were just passing time anyway.
Re: True story..
I rode the Metro frequently whilst in law school in DC.
I can say that unless I'd been on the way to a job interview or law school exam or court, I'd have stopped and listened until he finished playing.
But then, I'm a person who does believe that the little things in life are worth far more than alleged great achievements documented via one's CV or bank account.
Which is why I'm a low-paid loser serving a small rural community instead of a high-paid somebody serving corporate America in the big city.
I can say that unless I'd been on the way to a job interview or law school exam or court, I'd have stopped and listened until he finished playing.
But then, I'm a person who does believe that the little things in life are worth far more than alleged great achievements documented via one's CV or bank account.
Which is why I'm a low-paid loser serving a small rural community instead of a high-paid somebody serving corporate America in the big city.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Re: True story..
One night me and Chas were wondering pissed as newts through the back streets of Prague. We came across a square with a small fountain and some people gathered. A woman, say mid thirties, started singing some light opera. She wasn't great, but not at all bad. We stopped to listen, she did a few numbers then stopped, we dropped a few notes in her open case. I asked if anyone spoke English, a guy offered to speak to her for us. She was an ex-opera singer who busked occasionally and still took small rolls in the Prague coral society, she worked as a bus conductor otherwise.
I asked if she knew "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana" by Catalani, (Ok it's one of the few bits of opera I know and love) She sang a few of the opening bars, it always reduces me to tears, hearing her sing it live in this tiny square in Prague was about as heartrendering as it gets.
After a while she had to leave despite our begging. At breakfast at our hotel the next day our conversation went thus;
Chas; "You know you probably dropped half a years fucking wages for a Czech in her violin case don't you?"
Me; "At least I didn't propose marriage to her, and ask her to run away to England with me."
Chas; "I didn't did I?"
Me; "Twice. her husband was not impressed.'
I asked if she knew "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana" by Catalani, (Ok it's one of the few bits of opera I know and love) She sang a few of the opening bars, it always reduces me to tears, hearing her sing it live in this tiny square in Prague was about as heartrendering as it gets.
After a while she had to leave despite our begging. At breakfast at our hotel the next day our conversation went thus;
Chas; "You know you probably dropped half a years fucking wages for a Czech in her violin case don't you?"
Me; "At least I didn't propose marriage to her, and ask her to run away to England with me."
Chas; "I didn't did I?"
Me; "Twice. her husband was not impressed.'
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: True story..
Classical music was completely misunderstood in my family's house. Those were the days of a few local radio stations that actually had spaces between their frequencies, and I think there was ONE classical music station. When my father, (he controlled the car radio) would be flipping the dial he never stopped at that station. Concert albums were non-existent in that house, expert for maybe a song or two tucked into a Christmas record.
By Middle School, somehow my parents had finally heard that musical education was supposed to be good for kids and we were forced to take lessons with no idea of what we doing; in the back bedroom; where the squawking wouldn't bother anybody. Didn't seem like much of an education really.
I finally did get accidental exposure to Beethoven.
My own choice, my own money and so, in High School I went with some friends to see 'A Clockwork Orange'. Immediately, the next day, I checked out the book and bought the album.
While my sister was blasting the soundtrack to 'Saturday Night Fever' on her expensive stereo equipment; I would play the Ninth Symphony over and over on my turntable.
By Middle School, somehow my parents had finally heard that musical education was supposed to be good for kids and we were forced to take lessons with no idea of what we doing; in the back bedroom; where the squawking wouldn't bother anybody. Didn't seem like much of an education really.
I finally did get accidental exposure to Beethoven.
My own choice, my own money and so, in High School I went with some friends to see 'A Clockwork Orange'. Immediately, the next day, I checked out the book and bought the album.
While my sister was blasting the soundtrack to 'Saturday Night Fever' on her expensive stereo equipment; I would play the Ninth Symphony over and over on my turntable.
