Top violinist plays at subway station, no one notices

[theprodigalrebel]

Originally posted by: aswedc
shows how relevant classical music is these days outside the elitist type, if a pop act had been playing down there i bet there would have been a crowd of hundreds.

Back when 9/11 happened, I saw this thing in the news. Billy Joel was performing right in the middle of Times Square (time around sunset). Thousands of people walked by and maybe a dozen people gave him a second glance.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: bigdog1218

Originally posted by: Looney
Very great article. And it explains perhaps why people didn't notice or pay him more attention. Lots of factors were at work, but one thing i noticed in this article was this:

There was no ethnic or demographic pattern to distinguish the people who stayed to watch Bell, or the ones who gave money, from that vast majority who hurried on past, unheeding. Whites, blacks and Asians, young and old, men and women, were represented in all three groups. But the behavior of one demographic remained absolutely consistent. Every single time a child walked past, he or she tried to stop and watch. And every single time, a parent scooted the kid away.

So i think that most people did hear it, and really did appreciate it. But they didn't want to feel guilty about passing by and not giving money, so they pretended to ignore it. Children don't feel guilt like that, so they wanted to stay and watch.

Still, ~$30 for one hour, is pretty decent, and i would say much higher than the average street performerr.

A kid would stop to watch a clown making animals out of balloons, I guess that proves that clowns are art and everyone who doesn't watch clowns is a moron.

Well yeah, because it's entertainment to them. But would the kids stop to watch and listen to a bad performer? For some reason i doubt it.

I'm sorry but if I bang pots and pans, kids would want to stop and watch too.

That's because you'd look like the moron that you are. And i can assure you, adults would stop too.

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: bigdog1218

Originally posted by: Looney
Very great article. And it explains perhaps why people didn't notice or pay him more attention. Lots of factors were at work, but one thing i noticed in this article was this:

There was no ethnic or demographic pattern to distinguish the people who stayed to watch Bell, or the ones who gave money, from that vast majority who hurried on past, unheeding. Whites, blacks and Asians, young and old, men and women, were represented in all three groups. But the behavior of one demographic remained absolutely consistent. Every single time a child walked past, he or she tried to stop and watch. And every single time, a parent scooted the kid away.

So i think that most people did hear it, and really did appreciate it. But they didn't want to feel guilty about passing by and not giving money, so they pretended to ignore it. Children don't feel guilt like that, so they wanted to stay and watch.

Still, ~$30 for one hour, is pretty decent, and i would say much higher than the average street performerr.

A kid would stop to watch a clown making animals out of balloons, I guess that proves that clowns are art and everyone who doesn't watch clowns is a moron.

Well yeah, because it's entertainment to them. But would the kids stop to watch and listen to a bad performer? For some reason i doubt it.

I'm sorry but if I bang pots and pans, kids would want to stop and watch too.

That's because you'd look like the moron that you are. And i can assure you, adults would stop too.

Wow, there's a shred of intelligence that we're all hoping for. Could you tell your mom and dad that you've exceeded your daily browsing limit? Or do I have to teach you some manners as you're apparently lacking; shame that I have to do the jobs that the adults at your house have abandoned long ago.

I get it, you were hoping for attention, well you just got it. Would you like me to reply to you more so you can validate your pathetic existence? Do you want me to be your best friend? I can and you won't have to pay me.

 

[AreaCode707]

That is an impressively written article. I would hope that I would have stopped to watch but the reality is that it would completely have depended on how much time I had to get to work. I love listening to street musicians if they're even of middling ability.

 

[jonks]

Originally posted by: theprodigalrebel

Originally posted by: aswedc
shows how relevant classical music is these days outside the elitist type, if a pop act had been playing down there i bet there would have been a crowd of hundreds.

Back when 9/11 happened, I saw this thing in the news. Billy Joel was performing right in the middle of Times Square (time around sunset). Thousands of people walked by and maybe a dozen people gave him a second glance.

Wouldn't happen to have any info about this? Shens. OTOH, Times square is a tourist haven so if someone from another country didn't know him I wouldn't be shocked. But Billy is NY, and we know him quite well by sight and sound. Plus, one would imagine even if people didn't recognize billy, they might have wondered what a piano was doing on the sidewalk.

Oh, and neither I nor any of my friends would be able to point out a prominent violinist. Sorry.

 

[flawlssdistortn]

Originally posted by: HotChic
That is an impressively written article. I would hope that I would have stopped to watch but the reality is that it would completely have depended on how much time I had to get to work. I love listening to street musicians if they're even of middling ability.

Yeah, the article is really well written. It's funny though, every person in this thread who complained about its length would have walked right by Bell, annoyed with the infernal racket he was producing.

 

[topslop1]

I think this is a bigger study of what we value as people. We are told to value things otherwise a large majority of the time we would not value them. It's like diamonds. I don't care about diamonds, the only reason that I would ever buy one is becuase I am told that they are special, that there is something to want.

Value and commercialism I think is almost some of the arguement with this project of playing in the subway.

 

[manowar821]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
Being a musician, I can tell you that being sucessful in the music business requires 50% talent and 50% hype. Without someone hyping him up, everyone walking by just said "hmmm...he's pretty good" and walked away. If there was an annoucement and some kind of build up to the event, people would have crowed.

However, woodwinds aren't exactly the most popular instruments these days.

I've got it! Lets sign him up for a monster record label and then have nearly naked women dancing around him like strippers just like in music videos, that'll get people's attention.

I'll never understand why people fall for the music industry's BS. There is much better music out there if you just look. Very little of what is shat out by the industry is of any quality whatsoever.

Timbaland? I compose better tracks on my crappy 909 and tb-303 live than they compose in 2 months.

Also, IMO, if you're trying to make a million off of being a pop start/rock star, you're not a real musician.

Don't get me wrong, I'm agreeing with you. I'm just not going to find it acceptable.

Being a musician, I can tell you this.

 

[tealk]

I've seen him play before.....absolutely beautiful music....and when you experience first hand. Even if your not a classical music lover, you know why they say he is the best in the world at it......It's just something you come to realize....it's amazing.....

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: MichaelD
Not surprising at all. It's a SUBWAY in a major city in the USA. Speaking as a native New Yorker that rode the subway to school, work, play etc: Jesus himself could set up shop in NYC subway and juggle a naked Jessica Biel, flaming coconuts AND play the violin and nobody would notice.

I guess the dude test drove his ego...he gambled and lost.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

:thumbsup:

 

[dmcgough]

One time I saw a black classically trained guitarist who looked like Marley. I asked if he knew who Yngwie was and he started playing a medley of his acoustic pieces - he totally nailed every nuance of Yngwie's playing style and feel. I gave him $100 and I was one happy man.