OMG This is the most amazing and sad thing
A world class musician, a violinist by the name of Joshua Bell, plays in a subway in Washington, DC. The article is quite long, and has a few videos in it you can play to watch and listen. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01721.html *** SPOILER FOLLOWS **** Don't read past here if you want to I can't begin to tell you how sad this article made me feel. I don't understand why people are so cold. How could people not stop for a moment to listen to such beauty? Sure, I've walked by musicians, but frequently stop. If I'm moved I donate, and always say a word of encouragement. If I catch them at the end of the piece I will attempt a very brief conversation. OK, that's overboard, but I'm a curious guy. Still -- 45 minutes and only a handful of listeners to music of this caliber? I "knew" a street musician in Boston/Cambridge -- only spoke with him perhaps a half dozen times, always stopped to listen to his beautiful flute playing. He recognized me by sight, and we always had a very brief chat. He's on the job, you know? One day I found him down on the ground, with an ill man in his arms. I immediately recognized the man as the victim of a stroke, and stayed for the 10 or 15 minutes it took the EMTs to arrive. The next time I ran into him I learned that it was his father, that it was a stroke, but I don't recall if he had recovered or not. I haven't seen my musician "friend" since. It was 25 years ago. I wonder if he is still playing. |
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| Wow thats horrid. I actually have a CD by him.
When we were on our cruise my husband and I and both sets of our parents went to a classical performance. So there we were all six of us sitting waiting for the program to start. And do you now how many people showed up? Just the six of us. 
About half way through a few more people had trickled in and a few had left. It made me sad. Now granted we had just stopped in Victoria about the same time that the performance was to start. But we were only there for a few hours and almost all the business were closed because of how late we came in. One of the reasons we didn't get off the ship. And I know that there were a lot more people who didn't get of either. Now if Joshua Bell had been Brittney Spears performing I bet there would have been a crowd. How very sad we are as a society sometimes. |
I thought this thread was going to be about something huge. 
Going only off what you've written, it doesn't surprise me. People are too busy to care or notice, and people walk faster in the city (have somewhere to go). If I'm at the Subway, I only care about 1 thing... and that's if I can make it down the escalator fast enough to catch the train that's presently there and/or can I hear or see the lights of the next train... We joked when I worked at the Pentagon because people walk with their head down to avoid saying hello to anyone. It's quite quiet in the halls. After working there for so long, it's the same faces, but still no hellos.... |
| I clicked on the link thinking I would skim the article. It was
long, but I read the entire thing. Twice. So so sad. It made me think about every day life in general and how often we miss the really good stuff because we are in a hurry, or are too busy. How many things do we miss every single day, whether it's taking a moment to talk to a friend or listen to our toddlers jabbering because those are just 'everyday things'? It makes me want to stop and smell the roses a little more often, and try not to be angry and rushed all the time. All those tiny but so important moments could really add up to a pretty great life. Shellie |
| Thing is that he wasn't playing like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", he was playing the most amazing music coming out of a multi-million dollar instrument.
OK, I can almost understand people walking by in the really slow melodic parts, even if they don't hear the mastery of it. But when he was playing the fast, multiple noted harmonic parts, you'd think people would be stunned by that kind of music coming from a street musician and stop and stare if not to admire it. sigh |
crustybirds wrote: Now if Joshua Bell had been Brittney Spears performing I bet there would have been a crowd. How very sad we are as a society sometimes.
That is so true and the saddest part is people will pay hundreds of dollars for tickets to see mediocre musicians. |
| I cant stand that stuff. It really makes me sad how truly great musicians are being over looked and these nothings are getting all the lime light.
Thats why i stick with the established rockers. Its a statistic fact they are great. |
| At 7:51 a.m., short of someone announcing that they're giving me a million dollars, I don't want to hear anything! I'm half awake, cranky and not really interested in anything. Not to mention, every nanosecond of my morning counts as I'm habitually running late so I'm always on my way to point A to Point B as quickly as possible. If it's not life or death, I'm not stopping. It's nothing against the music, which I know I would enjoy but it's just not something I would do on the way to work. If I was already waiting for the subway though, absolutely I'd stop and listen.
HOWEVER, put this same guy in the same place on the way home and you'd get a different reaction from me. I've got no where to be at a certain time and I have time to stop and smell the roses. There's a time and a place for everything. It's kind of an unfair experiment in that respect. In general though, I do not like to get too close to anyone in a subway situation. If someone was that good in the subway, I'd assume they were probably insane, possible deranged. I like to keep my distance from most insane people. |
| I didn't look at the article, but just wanted to say they often pick Subways because of the sounds they get...acoustics are better, kinda like singing in the shower.
We stop if we think they are good, and even toss in a couple dollars, because they are "working" for it...we do NOT like begging people, but if they are at least trying to earn something, we support that, as well as give to the charities. Here in our city they dedicate a week or more?? to street performers, and they come from all over to entertain us. |
Ron wrote: .....How could people not stop for a moment to listen to such beauty?.......
I don't understand people either, but I know if I'd been there and he was playing Ave Maria and one more, (not sure of its name), I would have been late for work. That music itself, but especially the way he plays, should captivate you. Thanks for the site, Ron. Hated the story, but loved the music. I listened to most of his performance, and have to say if people would sit down quietly, close their eyes, and just listen, we might not have a need for so much Zoloft, etc...  |
| What an amazing article. I was astounded by it. |
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