If a World-Renowned Violinist Plays in the Subway, Does Anyone Listen?

[lordscarlet]

HE EMERGED FROM THE METRO AT THE L'ENFANT PLAZA STATION AND POSITIONED HIMSELF AGAINST A WALL BESIDE A TRASH BASKET. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

I meant to post this earlier. For anyone who didn't happen upon the Washington Post Magazine this weekend, Joshua Bell dressed in plain clothes and played a 300 year old violin atop a Metro exit. My fiance and I have had a fairly heated discussion about this article. It's long, but worth the read. What are your thoughts?

[Crapshoot]

I thought it was a great read as well. My thoughts aren't surprising - I'm a cynic, and while I understand that in the morning, we're all in our little zones, its still somewhat disappointing.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Cool article, cool idea for an article, and very much cooler that Bell agreed to participate. Can't say that I've ever thought of a classical violinist as somebody who would probably be pretty good company to have a couple of beers with.

More thoughts on the deeper stuff later perhaps, but that's actually the first things that hit me. (sue me, I've been a journalist at times, so the audacity & imagination of the story idea hit me harder than anything else)

[BrianD]

Nice article if long.

I wonder how many people would be able to tell the difference between a proficient and a genius artist. Without the context to let you know that you are in for something special, I bet a lot of people wouldn't notice the difference.

It seems that most of the people that did stop and notice the great performance were musicians themselves. Much easier to appreciate talent when you have some knowledge of the area.

[14ers]

Close to 8,000 words long according to my spell checker. :(



I think I will pass on this short story. Let me know when the movie comes out.:)

[lordscarlet]

Cool article, cool idea for an article, and very much cooler that Bell agreed to participate. Can't say that I've ever thought of a classical violinist as somebody who would probably be pretty good company to have a couple of beers with.

More thoughts on the deeper stuff later perhaps, but that's actually the first things that hit me. (sue me, I've been a journalist at times, so the audacity & imagination of the story idea hit me harder than anything else)

If it makes you feel better, I am nothing close to a journalist and those were my first thoughts.

As for deeper things, I want to wait to see what others think before I pipe in.

[CamEdwards]

This was actually in the Washington Post magazine, which accounts for its length.

I too thought it was a neat idea for an article, but Gene Weingarten's pretty well known for being a very creative guy (he was Dave Barry's editor in Miami back when Dave Barry was still funny). I thought Bell came across as very friendly and approachable, and I'm actually interested in hearing him play now, though I typically have very little appreciation for classical music.

[CamEdwards]

Dola: as for the results, I'm not that surprised. Most of the time when I'm leaving the Metro, I'm late for something or other so I wouldn't necessarily stop. And I did my fair share of busking a decade or so ago and you definitely appreciate ANYBODY who'll stop and listen for awhile... except the homeless guy who critiques you and says he could play better. :)

[lordscarlet]

For anyone who didn't happen upon the Washington Post Magazine this weekend...

This was actually in the Washington Post magazine...

:p

[Subby]

Close to 8,000 words long according to my spell checker. :(

I think I will pass on this short story. Let me know when the movie comes out.:)
The article was pretty much written for you. :)

Read it this weekend and kept meaning to post it. The whole concept was fascinating (as were the results.)

[lordscarlet]

The article was pretty much written for you. :)

Read it this weekend and kept meaning to post it. The whole concept was fascinating (as were the results.)

I keep meaning to ask..


Location: The Gaybourhood


Are you in Dupont Circle? :)

[Fighter of Foo]

The problem was he played during rush hour. This is the same corollary as the priest and good samaritan sermon. In the middle of the day or on the weekend the result likely would have been much different. http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/org_site/soc_psych/darley_samarit.html

[lordscarlet]

The problem was he played during rush hour. This is the same corollary as the priest and good samaritan sermon. In the middle of the day or on the weekend the result likely would have been much different. http://faculty.babson.edu/krollag/org_site/soc_psych/darley_samarit.html

I have seen very large crowds on the same metro system in the evening (particularly weekend evenings) for performers (in particular a Brass Band that I've seen several times @ Dupont Circle and some bucket-type drummers at Gallery Place). However, the argument here is that is exactly the point they are making. People today are too busy in their lives to appreciate centuries old proven classics. I definitely agree with you, but what disappoints people is that our lives have grown so hectic that we can't stop to appreciate something as simple and beautiful as a master violinist.

[JonInMiddleGA]

However, the argument here is that is exactly the point they are making. People today are too busy in their lives to appreciate centuries old proven classics.

Okay, but was there really any need for an experiment to prove that point?
I thought it was neat & all so I don't mean to be critical of the exercise or anything like that but is there anybody here at FOFC really surprised by the outcome?

I already know that there's so much crap flying in different directions around me most of the time that I don't know which way is up. And I think that's a pretty mainstream feeling.

The fact that director of the symphony misjudged the outcome seems like a case of someone misidentifying the target. Like a lot of people would have,
I think he fell victim to thinking his world is closer to the mainstream than it really is. Not gonna rip him for that, we all do that at times. I got the impression the writer was at least a little surprised, again, I take that as a sign that he's not quite as in touch with the world around him as he thought he was. The artist himself though, I felt like he had a pretty good perspective on the whole thing.

Now take this little cross-section of life here at FOFC. I have to think that more than 90% of us could have gotten close to guessing the outcome, especially if we had a few minutes to consider the whole scenario.

... what disappoints people is that our lives have grown so hectic that we can't stop to appreciate something as simple and beautiful as a master violinist.

I'm not sure that "disappoint" is the word I'd go with. I think it's kind of "sad" that this is the reality of life today, but I'm also familiar enough with the realization of the demands on time/attention vs the supply of time/attention that I really can't say I'm "disappointed" by the results. Not sure if I'm able to draw the distinction between the two words well enough yet, maybe you can wring what I mean out of it somehow.

[lordscarlet]

I'm not sure that "disappoint" is the word I'd go with. I think it's kind of "sad" that this is the reality of life today, but I'm also familiar enough with the realization of the demands on time/attention vs the supply of time/attention that I really can't say I'm "disappointed" by the results. Not sure if I'm able to draw the distinction between the two words well enough yet, maybe you can wring what I mean out of it somehow.

I was using Crapshoot's word. :)

I thought it was a great read as well. My thoughts aren't surprising - I'm a cynic, and while I understand that in the morning, we're all in our little zones, its still somewhat disappointing.

I believe "depressing" is the word my fiance used. I agree wholeheartedly with you, Jon. You couldn't have expected anything more. Primarily people are a) very busy and b) have been trained quite the opposite of those in the symphony -- to disregard classical music.

I would have liked to see the same experiment performed in the evening, when people are less in a rush. But the premise dictates that they do not. I would also imagine, despite how it is written, that the writer expected an outcome like this. I doubt he expected to be writing a piece about how the music transcends time and there were gaggles of people standing around to watch Bell perform. In my mind this was largely a setup to prove what we already know -- people are over worked, self-absorbed and constantly on the go. Having said that, I think it was an inspired article and experiment.

[BrianD]

I would be much more sad at the outcome if this was done at a time other than rush hour. It is one thing if a person is too bush to stop and appreciate on their way to the grocery store, but rushing to work is a bit different.

[QuikSand]

I loved this article as well. To me, it was particularly interesting to read about the two people who decided he was truly talented... and then both are revealed to have violin/musical training themselves. Makes me wonder what I'm missing without that sort of background... I have little doubt that I'd just be another brute working my way past him, and I like to think of myself as more cultured than the average subway rider. *shurg*

[Leonidas]

I'm waiting for Yo-Yo Ma to play Quizno's.

[albionmoonlight]

I would have walked right past him.

I don't have the ear to recognize musical greatness.

And, based on the context, I would have assumed that he was not a great musician.

If, on my way to work, you told me that I can stop for 10 minutes to listen to one of the best musicians in the world, I would say "great."

If, on my way to work, you expect me to stop and listen to every street performer that passes by on the theory that he might be one of the best musicians in the world and I should listen to make sure, then I would say "sorry, I don't want to do that."

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm waiting for Yo-Yo Ma to play Quizno's.

At their prices, they could afford to hire him.

[Fighter of Foo]

I have seen very large crowds on the same metro system in the evening (particularly weekend evenings) for performers (in particular a Brass Band that I've seen several times @ Dupont Circle and some bucket-type drummers at Gallery Place). However, the argument here is that is exactly the point they are making. People today are too busy in their lives to appreciate centuries old proven classics. I definitely agree with you, but what disappoints people is that our lives have grown so hectic that we can't stop to appreciate something as simple and beautiful as a master violinist.

The point of the link I posted wasn't that people are too busy or can't stop, it's that because people are busy, they don't see or hear anything.

There's an example in Blink by Gladwell, and I can't remember the specifics, where people are told to count the number of times a dot appears on the screen. In the middle of this, a person in a bear suit appears, waves, and then walks away. Most of the people, when asked, didn't even see the bear. Again my details are sketchy and someone can correct them, but the point remains that people can only focus on one thing at one time, and when people regularly ignore something, the specifics don't matter.

[Leonidas]

Nice publicity stunt. Were they expecting something else? Of all the subways I've ridden, I'd say the Washington metro during rush hour is the one you'd least expect to get anyone to notice something like this. A DC commute is absurdly painful to begin with and on the metro everyone wants to get in and get out as quickly as possible. It's rather amazing if you are going from downtown to say the Pentagon at just how quickly people move through the metro. In New York I could see people stopping as they are used to this kind of thing. Washington is not exactly a city known for street musicians.

[panerd]

My guess is they could take one of the street musicians, clean him up, dress him up in a tuxedo, have him play a solo at the philharmonic, and 95% of the crowd wouldn't know any different.

[lordscarlet]

Nice publicity stunt. Were they expecting something else? Of all the subways I've ridden, I'd say the Washington metro during rush hour is the one you'd least expect to get anyone to notice something like this. A DC commute is absurdly painful to begin with and on the metro everyone wants to get in and get out as quickly as possible. It's rather amazing if you are going from downtown to say the Pentagon at just how quickly people move through the metro. In New York I could see people stopping as they are used to this kind of thing. Washington is not exactly a city known for street musicians.

Stand to the right.

[albionmoonlight]

Stand to the right.

Summers in the D.C. metro at rush hour were great for people watching.

The tourist family from Iowa would be getting an early start on the day, taking up the entire escalator, huddled over their map looking to see how to get to the White House.

While legions of high powered attorneys would briskly march up to the human roadblock, collect behind them, shuffle their feet impatiently as the escalator slowly creeped to street level, and do everything in their power not to shout,

"Walk on the Left, Stand on the Right, you Fucking Hick Morons!"

[lordscarlet]

It has been made official, btw.

http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/railrules.cfm

Metro used to not state it as an official policy because it is "unsafe" to walk down an escalator.

[Leonidas]

It has been made official, btw.

http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/railrules.cfm

Metro used to not state it as an official policy because it is "unsafe" to walk down an escalator.
Please give seniors priority when using the elevators.
Yeah, right. Like that happens.

[JonInMiddleGA]

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20080407/D8VT8C3O0.html
The 2008 Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists:
blah, blah, blah, etc.,etc.,etc. ...
Feature Writing: Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post for chronicling the violinist Joshua Bell as he played beautiful music in a subway station filled with unheeding commuters.

[Subby]

Cool!

WaPo received six total (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/07/AR2008040701359.html?hpid=artslot)!

[hoopsguy]

Saw this story come up on Facebook a couple of times this week, which led me to the story and eventually the FOFC post on the topic.

I suspect if this was repeated again today that the two people who did recognize the talent would have their cell phones out, texting people, posting on Facebook/Twitter, and that you would have the crowd that was expected appear by the end of the hour.

[stevew]

I wish I only saw it come up a couple times

[DaddyTorgo]

Saw this story come up on Facebook a couple of times this week, which led me to the story and eventually the FOFC post on the topic.

I suspect if this was repeated again today that the two people who did recognize the talent would have their cell phones out, texting people, posting on Facebook/Twitter, and that you would have the crowd that was expected appear by the end of the hour.

Yeah - not sure why it's meme-ing around FB this week, but it's a good reminder and life lesson, so I have no issue with it not being current.

I'm sure I read the article when this was first posted, but I don't remember.

My take on it is in line with the Kantian - "context matters when appreciating beauty."