fascinating social experiment

[Gary_Yngve]

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

[archenemy]

Since when has Project Manager been a "fungible title". What is crappy journalist fungible with? Failed novelist.

[counterfeitfake]

FUNGY

[G-spotter]

pretentious display with predetermined outcome, more like.

 

what do you think would have happened if it had been Eddie Van Halen instead of some violinist

[rmncwrtr]

It depends if Eddie was sober or not, G-spotter.

 

Thanks for the link, Gary. Joshua Bell is amazing. Interesting that all the kids wanted to stop, but got pulled away.

[archenemy]

I like this line for its obvious irony:

 

Leithauser's point is that we shouldn't be too ready to label the Metro passersby unsophisticated boobs

[sk]

It depends if Eddie was sober or not, G-spotter.

 

Thanks for the link, Gary. Joshua Bell is amazing. Interesting that all the kids wanted to stop, but got pulled away.

 

kids are way smarter than grownups

 

i wonder if the out come would have been different if it would have been a sunday afternoon.

[foraker]

kids are smarter than grownups until the hormones kick in. then, it's back to the end of the line.

[catbirdseat]

pretentious display with predetermined outcome, more like.

 

what do you think would have happened if it had been Eddie Van Halen instead of some violinist

Man, you completely miss the point. You are clueless. The point was that people are attracted to NAMES. Everybody would have recognized Van Halen, or his music.

 

This is classical music. The point was would people be able to recognize brilliance when they heard it. Would the music itself speak, rather than the cachet? The answer is no.

 

And the reason for this is that the VAST majority of people have no ear for music at all. They wouldn't know good music if it hit them over the head, which figuratively happened in this case.

 

I am quite certain that you could replicate this experiment almost anywhere in America and get exactly the same results. I'd be willing to bet you couldn't pull it off in any European country.

Edited April 13, 2007 by catbirdseat

[archenemy]

And that is not soley people's fault. Most schools don't offer music appreciation anymore. Arts programs are some of the first causualties of budget cuts. Also, folks who don't play an instrument themselves can't be expected to recognize top class renditions of musical peices that they may have never heard before. Recognizing a piece and the talent behind it is a refinement that is developed. Why would anyone think it is just there?

 

And sure the kids were taken by the playing. But they are fascinated by everything new and unusual; as well as unfettered by adulthood.

 

To speak to CBS' point: people are attracted to names b/c they can learn them and recognize them. They can just trust that Yo Yo Ma is the best b/c that is what people who are experienced enough tell them. It is a introduction to the world of classical music that is easy to digest for the neophyte.

[G-spotter]

Classical music appeals to a small subgroup of the population, good or not.

[catbirdseat]

Classical music appeals to a small subgroup of the population, good or not.

This story has more to it than just music. It has to do with the need or lack thereof to experience beauty.

 

Another example was the time I was at Smith Rock for the first time, we took a hike over Misery Hill. I was staring at the trees. I had never seen such beautiful trees. These twisted juniper, so weathered, so full of life experience. I tell people about it, and they say, "there are trees at Smith? I guess there are trees there".

Edited April 13, 2007 by catbirdseat

[G-spotter]

Beauty is subjective. There were tons of people at Smith bitching about the rain on Saturday and few welcoming it as the rare event that it is in the desert.

 

I bet if they had put that doofus from American Idol in there hundreds of people would have stopped. That's the real point. Having a superb classical musician playing the subway is like having someone reciting poetry in Latin in the subway.

[bstach]

I can't beleieve you all read that whole friggin article!

[archenemy]

Classical music appeals to a small subgroup of the population, good or not.

I wonder how big that subgroup might be. People are often surprised that I listen to classical, being a metalhead and all. I always have to explain that Classical music is a close cousin to metal, especially to black metal (what I mostly listen to and a subclass of symphonic metal). So I wonder how many other types of music are heavily influenced by Classical and folks just don't know it?

 

I'll tell you one thing though, if they had someone like Perttu Kivilaakso playing in that government building, people would have stopped in their tracks.

[minx]

Joshua Bell is a fantastic musician and doesn't always play "classical" music although you're never go to hear anything he does on mainstream radio. i've go the CD "Heartland" in the car right now. it would hardly qualify as classical.

 

i would be interested know what would happen if people were on their way home. in the mornings, i tend to be much more focused on what's ahead. i might be more likely to take a moment and listen in the afternoon.

[archenemy]

i might be more likely to take a moment and listen in the afternoon.

 

Not me. That's high-time for ho-ing.

[minx]

i might be more likely to take a moment and listen in the afternoon.

 

Not me. That's high-time for ho-ing.

 

yeah-but that's the start of the work day for you. ya know, kind of like morning to the rest of us

[fenderfour]

How many people stop for a street performer during their normal commute on a busy day? I think the "experiment" was a bit dubious and doesn't really prove anything.

 

 

Does that mean that most people would recognize Joshua Bell? I doubt it. There are a lot of famous people I wouldn't recognize if I passed them on the street.

 

people are often surprised that I listen to classical, being a metalhead and all. I always have to explain that Classical music is a close cousin to metal

 

I've tried to explain this to many people when I mention that I listen to classical as well as metal and a ton of other stuff. I dont' really have the musical background necessary to describe the similarities.

[archenemy]

Good point. And Mr. Bell was smart to put a few bucks in his case to start. I always stuff a couple bucks in my thong to show people the way.

[archenemy]

I've tried to explain this to many people when I mention that I listen to classical as well as metal and a ton of other stuff. I dont' really have the musical background necessary to describe the similarities.

Most people you talk to also don't have that background, so it is often a slow, careful conversation.

[minx]

i wasn't saying that anyone should recognize him. i'd just hope that perhaps, some would take a moment in time to enjoy some great music.

[foraker]

a busker's perspective: http://www.sawlady.com/blog/

[fenderfour]

a busker's perspective: http://www.sawlady.com/blog/

 

She has a good point - I used to see a guy at the market armed with a few old x-rays to use as kazoos and a plastic trumpet. He drew the crowds because he was a good performer, not a great musician.

[PLC]

Even if he had a sign that said "World Famous Musician", no one would have stopped and listened, because people don't give a crap about classical music. It's not that they couldn't recognize quality, it's that the definition of quality here is dubious.

 

If Jimmy Paige set up shop in that train station, you'd have had a riot on your hands, even if he wore a mask and only played music by other artists...