Since I seem to be on an art and music kick today I thought I'd highlight a pretty darn cool thing Joshua Bell did. Cognitive Daily and The Washington Post have the real stories, but here's a little snippet:
Leonard Slatkin, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, was asked the same question. What did he think would occur, hypothetically, if one of the world's great violinists had performed incognito before a traveling rush-hour audience of 1,000-odd people?"Let's assume," Slatkin said, "that he is not recognized and just taken for granted as a street musician . . . Still, I don't think that if he's really good, he's going to go unnoticed. He'd get a larger audience in Europe . . . but, okay, out of 1,000 people, my guess is there might be 35 or 40 who will recognize the quality for what it is. Maybe 75 to 100 will stop and spend some time listening."
So, a crowd would gather?
"Oh, yes."
And how much will he make?
"About $150."
Thanks, Maestro. As it happens, this is not hypothetical. It really happened.
"How'd I do?"
We'll tell you in a minute.
"Well, who was the musician?"
Joshua Bell.
"NO!!!"
Bell made "$32 and change"
Comments
heard about this...it was in DC, right?
god, think about if it had been in NYC.
yet still, ironically, this is waaay more than grad students make. perhaps i'll take up a part-time job...
Posted by: kate | April 11, 2007 2:38 PM
There is a great response to the Joshua Bell article by a NYC subway musician in her blog: www.SawLady.com/blog
She interprets the situation differently from the Washington Post reporters... I thought you might find it interesting.
Posted by: Michelle | April 11, 2007 3:54 PM
thanks! Michelle
Posted by: steve | April 11, 2007 4:32 PM
Not bad IMO. I've done worse, in downtown San Diego.
Clown the crowd, cash in.
Posted by: DDeden | April 11, 2007 5:58 PM
Come on - I ride the Metro every day. Bell was AT THE ENTRANCE. Nobody stops at the entrance. And it was the am rush. People were going TO WORK. There's a subtle elitism here, implying that people can't be bothered to listen to music, when in fact most of those going by were likely hourly workers, or even if salaried, salaried on that wacky federal salary that still has you on a 40 hour week, 8.5 hours a day, and clocking in. Moreover, stopping to listen to him would have created congestion - you don't do that, either. (Plus, it was pretty cold that day.) Put him on the platform in the afternoon - he'll do better...
Posted by: The Ridger | April 11, 2007 7:17 PM
I don't care how good he is, if he's playing something I don't like, he ain't getting NO money!
Posted by: J-Dog | April 12, 2007 8:48 AM
Maybe they should've, i dunno, picked a GOOD musician? Joshua Bell is the biggest hack ever, I can't stand his whiney pseudo-emotion. On CDs and in person, I just can't stand him.
Vladimir Spivakov was really good when I saw him, though. Maybe it's just because he's older, I don't buy the young virtuosos.
Posted by: Brian | April 12, 2007 11:41 AM