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OT : Amazing article on world class musician being ignored as he plays in a subway

TJ000

By TJ000
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TJ000 Newbie

TJ000

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This is a pretty amazing article about one of the worlds greatest violinist playing some of the worlds greatest music on one of the worlds greatest violins in a subway atation while people ignore him...a pretty interesting comment on the pace of life and people

 

 

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

 

 

tj

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4Kenoath Newbie

4Kenoath

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this literally brought tears to my eyes - especially the part about how all the kids tried to watch and all the parents led them away

 

I actually saw footage of it...not only did people pull their eager children away from the big bad, evil violinist...they tended to walk as far around him as they could as though he was contageous. One person dropped a $20 in his hat as they recognised who it was, but just watching and hearing a seriously good musican of any persuasion should have attracted a lot more spare change. :freak:

 

This is why I prefer to work only with small children and animals. :wave:

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whitepapagold Newbie

whitepapagold

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If he's as tedious and pompous as that article, I could understand why nobody stopped.



NICE! Plus, when I worked for "the Man", I was always running late or super busy. Who has time for a subway Violinist? Plus they have guys from Juliard playing at Disneyland- But people run by them to hug Mickey... What the hell does that say? I have a 3 and 5 year old at the house and I'd pull them away too! But they stop to watch snails move and listen to grass grow and watch a paper bag fly- So I have no intention of hanging out in a Subway with 2 young kids regardless of what they are staring at now...:blah:

capnbringdown done brought me down.....:D

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english_bob Newbie

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NICE! Plus, when I worked for "the Man", I was always running late or super busy. Who has time for a subway Violinist?



This about sums it up for me. It's rush hour, you're trying to get to work on time, and your boss isn't going to like it any better if you say "sorry I'm late, I stopped to watch a violinist" than if you say "I just couldn't be bothered to get to work on time this morning". You're still late, you're still fired, but since you've got the day off now, if you hurry he might still be there :D

Then there's the fact that the "plebians", as the writer so arrogantly puts it, on their way to work probably take no interest in classical music because the media (other than classical music magazines, which you wouldn't buy unless you already liked classical music) doesn't show it to them, and because, as the writer also reminds us, "only pretty good" tickets to see this dude cost $100 a pop. {censored}, I could see Bob Dylan twice for that, and at least know some of the songs.

Classical music is something that schools (in the UK at least) don't really teach kids to appreciate, and which the "cultured" and "learned" sections of our society seem to delight in keeping closed to anyone but themselves. Articles like this where some pompous arsehole whose job allows him to set his own hours sneers at people who don't have that luxury for considering that providing for their families is more important than listening to some guy playing violin isn't going to change that a bit.

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4Kenoath Newbie

4Kenoath

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I think most of you drips missed the point. I'm not into going to expensive classical concerts either, but when a violin, especially one as good as that is played beautifully, it would normally be mesmerising to at least a certain proportion of the herd...you'd think. Like being late to their boring, monotonous office job (which most of them probably hate) by an extra minute = fired. :rolleyes:

 

What it shows is the mindless conveyer belt of humanity is alive, well and growing. Many of those 1000's of commuters wouldn't have been late for anything, but none stopped or formed a group around well played music. No wonder music sounds so {censored}ing generic and mindless these days. It's all gotta be part of the predigested, non-challenging (ie. reverse snobbery) chaff that the unconscious find easy to swallow, promoted by endless pop culture, silicon-enhanced advertising. I've stopped my afternoon walk in front of someone's house just because they were making an instrument sing. I'll stick with the kids on this one thanks.

 

One time, my bro bought me tickets to Maxim Vengarov (also a vitruoso violinist backed by full orchestra)...{censored}ing brilliant musican I won't forget soon. I think he was in his mid 20's then. I guess I must be a high brow snob because I enjoyed it. :freak::bor:

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Lanefair Newbie

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I wouldn't get too depressed. Who the f**k listens to buskers. It's not like buskers are trying to make an artistic statement. They're stood 50ft underground and making noise in the hope that people will throw loose change at their feet. They might as well be mime artists.

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mistersully Newbie

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I wouldn't get too depressed. Who the f**k listens to buskers. It's not like buskers are trying to make an artistic statement. They're stood 50ft underground and making noise in the hope that people will throw loose change at their feet. They might as well be mime artists.

 

 

great music is great music... i don't care where it is being played... i'll stop and listen

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4Kenoath Newbie

4Kenoath

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I wouldn't get too depressed. Who the f**k listens to buskers.

 

You obviously don't get any decent buskers in your neck of the woods...

 

...buskers here can attract big crowds and make a handy living if they're really good. Most are pretty average, but I'd certainly stop and listen to Vengarov on a street corner.

 

Depressed? No. Sign of the times? Absolutely. :o

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littledreamer Newbie

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That was done in Australia several years ago. A current affairs show put Tommy Emmanuel in a hat and fake beard and got him to play at Circular Quay, one of Sydney's busiest tourist area's. Needless to say, almost everybody walked by until it was revealed who was playing, at which point a huge crowd gathered. Read into that what you will.

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chump5150 Newbie

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Interesting article, but it's flawed. I think the editors wanted this outcome so they could write the story they did. If Bell did his performance at the start of the evening rush hour, a lot more people would have stopped. They'd still be hurrying to get home or whatever, but there wouldn't be the pressure of being late to work. If I were on a 9-5 job, would I risk my job to hear a violin player in the subway? No way.

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