Violinist in the Metro

[John in Covina]

Well, to be honest there are no original ideas, the menusha may change but all of the core original ides have been used.

There are something like 27 basic plot lines for films and plays or fiction, novels in literature and everything is just a variation of them.

 

[John in Covina]

One thing is to ask is society moving towards a greater sort of personal isolation to the world around, or are more of us finding less time to stop and smell the roses?

 

[VintageRed]

One thing is to ask is society moving towards a greater sort of personal isolation to the world around, or are more of us finding less time to stop and smell the roses?

I definitely think, that even amid the technological advancements, people are isolating themselves in a manner. Less and less people patronize libraries, use encyclopedias or learn the Dewey Decimal system because it's far easier and expedited to sit down at your pc/mac/laptop of choice and google the information you seek. Social niceties are few and far between; for instance, the art of letter writing is almost non-existent. Everyone shoots emails, text messages, communes via their "walls" on Facebook and MySpace. We are becoming a world where social skills aren't nearly as favored as typing skills and knowing how to use a computer effectively. Heck, everyone I know dates online, met their spouses online or has "friends" online they've never even seen face to face.

Not that it hasn't opened many doors and given us greater ability to meet people from all over the world and share our similarities and our differences...but I think it does degrade the social factors that made people converge. I was just looking at the Library of Congress Flickr album from the 30's and 40's and it showed a photo of a newspaper company on a street corner in Brockton, MA where they posted all the daily/weekly headlines in the windows. There was a huge crowd of people gathered on the street to read what was going on in the world.


Interesting side effects of the technological revolution, indeed.

~D.

 

[Fletch]

About that 1930 experiment, New York was never a great place to generalize from. The soul of the NY street has always been "tend to your business," tho perhaps a little more open to the arts today than in 1930.

In 1930 a street fiddler was probably an unwelcome reminder of hard times - and the better the music, the more unwelcome the reminder.

Today, I imagine New York would pay more attention than Washington, because New York accepts street life more, and the arts more.

 

[$ally]

In 1930 a street fiddler was probably an unwelcome reminder of hard times - and the better the music, the more unwelcome the reminder.

Very good point.

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing? Would this have happened during the Golden Era? If not, what has changed?

Putting myself in a Washington commuter's shoes for a moment...

If I'd heard the music, would I have appreciated it? Probably. I may not have gone, "Oh, that's so amazing, I MUST stop!" - but I may have heard it as I was passing and appreciated that moment of beauty for the rest of the day. In the early morning, if I were rushing to work and had to catch a train, it would be awfully difficult to stop and listen. *You* try explaining to your boss that there was a violin player in the subway and that's why you're a half hour late! I don't see things being significantly different during, say, the Depression.

As to how much beauty we're missing by rushing about like chickens with our heads cut off? Probably a lot. When I'm late for something, I get worried and stressed and don't appreciate the little things I notice when I'm relaxed: sunlight on trees, an elegant bit of architecture, a picturesque sky, etc.

 

[Tomasso]

Location, location, location.....

I'm not surprised with the result of the experiment considering the chaotic nature of transportation facilities, where most people are hurried and concentrating on navigating the bedlam. Had the experiment been held on say a city street or at a park the results would probably have been much different.

 

[HungaryTom]

Situation is similar also in Budapest. In the golden Era –pre WW2- when Gloomy Sunday emerged, the author Seress also played live music in the ’Kispipa’ bar at his streetcorner until his last days– all the places had live musicians- ranging from 5 star hotels, until the cheap restaurants in the outskirts and country weddings. It has been a common practice for the band to go around and to play the guests their favourite song at the table when the person did actually sing a few of his own favourite songs and finally gave the tips. There is an anecdote about a gypsy band leader -who is always the violinist- that when he listened Yehudi Menuhin playing in Budapest telling "plays very nice but would starve to death at the table".

Live music was omnipresent and it co-existed with recorded music (radio and gramophone) which was really not Hi-fi so it had less stopping power plus it was waay too expensive.

Nowadays the musical consumers habits changed – with the golden era generation (people born in the 1910s-1930s) dying out the following generations are really not supporting that type of live music (gypsy music, jazz or classic became niche products) and there is no more state support for musicians –forcing many violinists to play street music living at the level of a beggar practically. There are also the young musicians who play on the street and upgrade their income. Being insulted by idiot people.

I have one favourite musician he is playing classical music – it is always a lifting experience to listen to his Vivaldi. I admit I also hushed by one or the other time when I was in hurry – there is not always time for me either to listen to one or two of his tracks asking for Méditation from Massenet or so and to have a small talk. Live music has an unimitable magic even if it is done in the subway. I never throw coins for the music I like - it must be a banknote.


Living the life of the working class man is not funny, running after small salaries in large cities mass transportation makes one really miss out a lot of beauty (nature) and the lack of spare time also (arts). -EDIT: this last paragraph repeats ShoreRoad Ladies thoughts - I was just posting without taking the time to go through all posts -also the more recent ones- thoroughly and just realized it right now- again in hurry, hurry see??

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I can personally attest to a crowd of people who surrounded a group of amateur musicians in Paris. In fact, I have video!

Sadly, I cannot access YouTube from work, but it's out there, and maybe I'll post it later.

In any case, there is a group of musicians with quite the crowd in the Paris Metro. What makes Paris different from DC?

 

[Josephine]

What makes Paris different from DC?

Oh, Lordy, where do I start?!? lol

 

[carter]

One man's opinion.

Here, for your viewing pleasure.

I imagine that the music is beautiful but the acoustics are atrocious. For people, like me, who have difficulty hearing in places where every sound reverberates off hard surfaces (walls, floors, ceilings, etc.) it would be extremely uncomfortable to stop and listen, even if they were not in a hurry.

Winning a Pulitizer for doing something that had been done seventy-seven years earlier smacks of winning an award for plagarism.

Jacques Gordon plays in Chicago - 1930
Despite the fact that Gene Weingarten states that he had no knowledge of the same experiment having been done in Chicago, it seems to cheapen the award. Did he deserve the Pulitizer? Not for me to say.

Listening to street musicians outdoors in NYC, whenever I've been in the city, has always been enjoyable. I have seen folks stop to enjoy the entertainment and even purchase cd's. I don't know about Paris, but there is a marked difference in this regard between Washington, D.C. and NYC.

This is less about societal appreciation of beauty than it is about a single day in a busy subway station in Washington, D.C. As Weingarten says in his column, maybe some young journalsi will dream this up again decades from now.

 

[Foofoogal]

I can personally attest to a crowd of people who surrounded a group of amateur musicians in Paris. In fact, I have video!

Since we didn't have too many strolling musicians in Texas I also was amazed by the local musician on the subway train in Paris this last year.
I think he may of been a gypsy man though and was not met with any love.
Though he was one of the highlights of my trip as he was playing my fav instrument in the world (accordion, right before violin or trumpet) I just sat there as everyone else shunned him. I regret it but I was not comfortable in Paris at all. The guys with the machine guns at the Eiffel Tower may of had something to do with it.
I adore music and sing and dance alot. I think everyone is way too busy with everything. Music feeds the soul.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fes_AJxpCl4

my, my, my.

 

[jac]

I used to play & sing on South Street in Philly back in '80, and it's wonderful to be appreciated. Musicians who perform at transit stations expect the rushing commuters. There are always people who the experience of a live performance re-humanizes, and this is validating to the performer as well.

Naturally, some $ in the hat helps too.

Still, I have to wonder if, in this socially frosty era, the musicians are getting enough of either material or spiritual sustenance.

Tip your local artist!

"There has always been a war against artists in this country".....
I wish I could remember who said that.....