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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
 Posted - 04/17/2007 : 12:15:44 PM
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What would happen if one of the world's foremost violinists played some of the most beautiful music in a subway in Washington DC during rush hour? How many would notice?
I was led to this article in the Washington Post and found it fascinating. Any comments? 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721_pf.html
Have we lost our ability to notice and appreciate beauty?
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E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2007 : 1:39:59 PM
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Fantastic Article!
In fact the whole project qualifies as a process-art tour-de-force!
Yes... and it shows very clearly some aspects of the true nature of American culture (or lack thereof!), especially for the last few decades. Although, by deTocqueville's account (of the 1800's) (cited in the piece) it has not changed all that much in more than a century.
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 04/17/2007 1:43:58 PM |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2007 : 1:53:51 PM
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| Great article, although I don't think it's so much a statement of lack of culture as it is a statement of how people surrounded by sensory overload on a daily basis tune out the surrounding stimuli. My guess is that the farther you get from a bustling city, the greater the response would be to something like this. |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
Edited by - cpatch on 04/17/2007 1:54:15 PM |
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
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Darin
Lokahi
USA
294 Posts |
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GUke
Lokahi
188 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2007 : 3:37:03 PM
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| If you're not into music at all I could see you just passing by. And if you've got somewhere to go and have no time to lose you'd probably not even care. Not everyone appreciates musical talent, and unless you know how difficult it is to play an instrument you'd probably walk by. And if that type of music doesn't fancy you why would you stop. Does the article proove lack of culture, or even sensory overload? The article may show that if you don't advertise, don't expect a large audience. Look at the crowds whenever a major morning network show advertises a free street concert performed by a popular musician/band. The audience makes time to check it out. And having the time to listen is the bottom line. I won't deny that great talent might create that time at a spontaneous moment. But usually it's spare time - I'm not in a rush so I'll listen. |
Genaro
Should I? Itʻs only $, and where Iʻm going itʻll burn or melt. |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 04/17/2007 : 8:56:03 PM
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| I'm sort of with Craig on this one, except I know what Bell looks like -- however, when I used to commute in the morning, I was so focused on just trying to get to work that everything else, including very hot looking women, was just distraction. (I am straight and definitely not a morning person.) I would say calling what the newspaper did as "research" is an insult to graduate students across the country! In other words, I find it very difficult to take such a highly contextualized piece of observation and generalize anything worthwhile from it. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 12:18:59 AM
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The music is beautiful, no doubt. The experiment, though, was not done in a scientific manner. The results showed exactly what they wanted the results to show. A lot of the behavior of the musician would be amended to give the already perceived outcome. I would appreciate the music as I rushed by to get to work, but I wouldn't have time to stop and listen. I would not have put any money in his case. I never give "panhandlers" money. I would have figured that if he were playing at the request of the transit authority, then they would compensate him for his talent.
One thing I wonder, though. Why no one recognized such a famous musician?
All in all, a very interesting, if wordy, article, but I am unsure what it really demonstrated.
I guess just like if a tree crashes in the woods and no one hears it....
Thanks for posting it, Kapena Mike, and for the intersting discussions here on Taro Patch and with my daughter, the violinist. She shared some of this fella's music with me last night...beautiful, emotional. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2169 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 03:23:00 AM
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| Subway and sidewalk musicians are not "panhandlers" but "buskers", part of the ancient beed of street theatre. Panhandlers just aske for money, buskers offer entertainment and respite. Ask Slipry1, he did it between teaching gigs. |
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Trev
Lokahi
United Kingdom
265 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 03:51:20 AM
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I support this, Thumbstruck. It is part of an ancient tradition. People have played music in the streets in my county for many hundreds of years.
I've been a busker (though luckily not for a few years now) and object in the strongest possible terms to being called a 'panhandler'. At the time I had no paid work, no money and often needed to buy food for myself and my girlfriend. The only marketable skill or talent I had was music, so I played in the street. If people liked it, they could drop me some spare change, if they didn't they didn't have to. I came across a lot of friendly people - on a hot day someone once gave me a can of coke instead of fifty pence, which was lovely and thoughtful.
I've also met some extremely talented musicians on the street. One of the best drummers I have ever seen was playing upturned buckets on a street. Another was an old Jamaican guy who did his own style of Country mixed in with some Calypso type music. Another was a classical violinist who'd play Vivaldi to help get himself through University. There's one playing concertina now near my office, who's a former magazine editor and very knowledgeable historian.
Ironically, our local council now 'licenses' buskers. You pay a deposit of about $20 on a semicircular rubber mat. You give this back when you have finished. This baffles me. If I'd have had $20, I wouldn't have had to have gone busking in the first place.
Is playing in the street for tips any different from playing in a bar for tips? By all means don't give buskers any money if you don't want to, but there's really no need to tar us all with the same brush, or to call us offensive names.
You were asking how musicians get paid. Well this is one of the ways.
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 05:04:04 AM
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| I always drop money in the hat (case, bucket, jar), regardless of the genre, even if I'm not hanging around to listen. A simple reward for someone willing to put it out there. Having played for tips (last night, for example), it's nice when someone at least recognizes your effort (if not your performance). |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 06:30:17 AM
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amen to trey and terry!
if you find yourself running away from buskers, then i gently suggest you ask yourself what you're trying to avoid...
hey, someone bought me a drink yesterday - that seemed so old school and cool :)
aloha,
keith
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Lawrence
Ha`aha`a
USA
1597 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 06:45:34 AM
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quote:
The experiment, though, was not done in a scientific manner.
Actually, having studied social anthropology in college, it was done in about the most "scientific" manner they could, given the original premise and under the circumstances. The only significant scientific mistakes were that the musician knew what was happening (it was not double blind - which would have been impossible given the premise), and of course it was not repeated many times in many different places for statistical validity.
However, it was not meant to be a scientific experiment anyway, but more of process-art statement.
In addition, the responses and results they got differed very greatly from what they expected, as the expected probable outcomes were discussed at some length.
I too think, like many of the folks that did take notice of "the musician", that the response would have been much stronger in Europe or Brazil (cited) than in the U.S.. And of course the response would have been stronger in a less hectic environment, but again, that was not the intent of the "experiment".
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Mahope Kākou...
...El Lorenzo de Ondas Sonoras |
Edited by - Lawrence on 04/18/2007 11:42:28 AM |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 08:16:05 AM
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Well, I guess I run away from them because they make me feel uncomfortable. I figure that if you need money so bad that you are willing to sit in a transit station and play with an open violin case, guitar case, etc., then you should be willing to take any kind of job...Mickie D's, janitorial, etc. There are always low paying jobs out there...a low paying jb is better than nothing, yeah? Also, I guess I feel guilty that for the grace of God, there goeth I.
I certainly did not mean to offend anyone. And I did not realize that use of the word "panhandler" would be so offensive. It is certainly NOT the same as playing in a club or a coffee shop and getting tips in a tip jar. For the most part, your audience is there because they want to be...they are your customers. On the street or in a public area, they are not your customers. A customer is a customer by choice, not by fiat.
I guess I have looked at someone playing street music as begging...and I guess I am idealistic enough to think that there are other things that can be done other than begging...social service agencies, welfare, even, if there is a dire need for assistance.
Anyhow, apologies if I have offended anyone. E kala mai.
Now, back to the reason for the experiment...I actually was surprised at how much money he did get. Comparatively speaking, that is. Compared to what my day-care teacher daughter makes, that is not bad money for a day. Compared to what Mr. Bell makes, that is a mere drop in the bucket. You certainly wouldn't starve on that money.
Here in Cleveland, when I used to work downtown, there was a great bunch of out and out panhandlers, street musicians, etc., who would battle for the most lucrative street corners. Even the hot-dog cart vendors would vie for the top spots. There were news exposes showing pan handlers going home to their suburban houses after a hard day's work begging for $$. I always felt uncomfortable and wouldn't look at them, and for sure wouldn't give them money. I was so paranoid that I figured if I opened up my purse to get money, someone would knock me over the heat and take my money or snatch my purse or something like that.
I guess I am not very socially tolerant or kind. I've got to think on this topic for a while.
Are the rest of you guys saying that I SHOULD throw money into the pot? |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Mika ele
Ha`aha`a
USA
1493 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 08:30:43 AM
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Something pointed out in the article and something I witnessed last night at Open Mike (for tips -- I think our take was four guitar slackers and $2). Keiki will stop, watch, and listen. We had some kids last night that would ignore their food and just stare at the stage. I've seen it on several other nights. The adult conversation "noise level" will be very high but there is almost always at least one young child staring at the stage.
What is it in our adult lives that tends to have us take our focus off the "beautiful" and not appreciate it as a child would? This could be the newly opening rose bud by the driveway on the walk out to the car, the haunting call of the mourning dove hiding in the sage brush by the office, or the sun's panoply of colors in the "horse tail" spray of the surf observed while stuck in freeway traffic. I know I always looked at things differently when my daughters would pay attention to something that I hadn't seen or heard before. It doesn't cost me anything to pay attention.
It has been frustrating and puzzling to me to sit in a coffee shop and listen to some really great slack key music -- only to look around and notice that I seem to be the only one genuinely listening much less enjoying that music.
It happens every week, on stage, at our local Open Mike, because we are in a restaurant where good food and good conversation are expected and encouraged. I can be listening to some of the sweetest guitar sounds only to notice that the only ones paying any attention are the other "Slackers" waiting their turn on the stage (or the keiki).
I know I am preaching to the choir, here. Puzzling observations none-the-less.
PS: We aren't that bad when playing on stage (in case you were wondering) |
E nana, e ho'olohe. E pa'a ka waha, e hana ka lima. |
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RJS
Ha`aha`a
1635 Posts |
Posted - 04/18/2007 : 09:11:06 AM
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"KM,"
I play at a small restaurant every other week -- it is true that generally kids give me more attention than adults -- at times they seem mesmirized by the music, and a smiles or some minor "flirting" (non-sexual) with them usually gets one of those bright open smiles that only kids can give. Typically when adults come in, they listen to a song, order, then listen to one or two more songs and turn to conversations with friends. After they've finished they usually listen to one, sometimes two more songs, and leave. Most are not coming for the music, but for a pleasant dinner with friends, which includes good food, a pleasant atmosphere and conversation. I'm part of that atmosphere. The validation that I'm making a difference is that the restaurant frequently gets calls to ask if I'm playing that day, or asking when I will be playing next. Also typically the net is higher when I play. That said, there are three groups which seem to come more to listen to me play, and the owner tries to give them tables close to me when they call ahead. They are also the best tippers. Personally I'm really ok with the whole scene - I keep going back. What gets me is when a group has just enough alcohol to get them talking louder, which usually sets off a chain reaction. Since a lot of my music is on the quiter and romantic side, that kind of thing makes it hard for me to stay on task. |
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