Perception

Here's a link to an interesting experiment in perception. This is an article from washingtonpost.com which includes video asking / showing..."Can one of the nation's great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? Let's find out."

I agree...location is a factor. In other cities/locations I've watched crowds gather around obviously bad musicians or at least acknowledge their presence as they go by.

ORIGINAL: bitflipper
In most cities on the east coast, you could be laying there bleeding and no one would take notice.

Sad, but true.

I was on Washington Circle in D.C. last year.

There was a 7 piece horn outfit doing a New Orleans meets Baltimore type thing on the sidewalk.

Most fun I had listening to music all last year.

Me and two hundred strangers singing along to old standards. The crowd seemed to be right at the precipice of spontaneous dance. I guess D.C. is still a bit conservative... so we all settled for head bobs and foot tapping.

What a great memory. Thanks!

best regards,
mike

ORIGINAL: bitflipper

I'd like to see them stage that experiment in a more musically-minded location such as Nashville, Austin, Chicago, New Orleans, San Fransisco or Seattle.

Here in Seattle, street musicians abound - at least in good weather - and often draw a crowd. They range from the truly awful to the truly awesome, but all get money in the case.

In most cities on the east coast, you could be laying there bleeding and no one would take notice.

Yeah
but in most cities on the east coast, someone laying on the street bleeding is a common sight for the average pedestrian.

This story reminded me of some clubs I've played in.

But the truth is.... many people could care less about the arts.

So sad, not to appreciate even for a moment such superb musicianship.

I wonder, If I'd been in that train station that morning.... what would I have done?

I like to think that I would have stopped and listened.

ORIGINAL: Nate

ORIGINAL: Spaceduck
I started to resent the way the author is trying to colour our perception by taking such a biased angle.

Me too.

In this case, Joshua Bell failed to understand his environment and so he failed as a performer, even if he got all the notes right. He was assuming he's in Carnegie Hall, playing for people who were there to dote on his every move, when in fact being a street performer is very different and requires an instinct for showmanship. Again, how presumptuous to think a Carnegie Hall player has what it takes.

The act of placing Bell in a Subway station was an expieriment in what people want to percieve. Bell was not displaying his ego IMO. He was just the crash test dummy to perform the test.
But I do refer back to your first statement...the author went way off track in both purpose and execution of his 'expieriment.

Yup, that's true... and I stand corrected; Joshua Bell never actually blamed the audience. It's the author who does that. JB seems like a very humble person as we see when he insists that the author not use the word "genius" (to which the author feigns acceptance but then says "The word will not again appear in this article. It would be breaking no rules, however, to note that the term in question, particularly as applied in the field of music, refers to a congenital brilliance -- an elite, innate, preternatural ability that manifests itself early, and often in dramatic fashion."

Oh jeepers, just say "genius" already.

So yeah you're absolutely right. This was a great experiment but not in absolute perception as the author hammers, but in relative perception based on what people want to hear. The experiment proves that people focus on different things based on their surroundings, and the best violinist in the world can't change that fact.

I agree the writer left the chute with the story pre written.

He should have gone up to Washington Circle where the guys were playing popular music... I suspect because it's popular... he could have written a story with a nice ending.

Although the writer's point of view is skewed from the start, I still get from the story how easy it is for us to overlook some of the great things in life that are right there in front of us.

ORIGINAL: mike_mccue
Mike, what's your take on one person (the writer) defining what's great?

I interpreted his references of 'great' to mean a musician who obviously knows his craft and not one who necessarily is 'great' by popularity / celebrity. Still, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'.

'Great' by one definition is simply, very skillful. It's all interpretational.

The writer presumes that all passersby should perceive Joshua Bell as 'great' (very skillful). Still, out of character and outside of the 'normal' atmosphere for Joshua to perform in, this 'greatness' is not obviously perceived. It is possible, though, that those passing by may have recognized his playing to be great; but, like hearing a favorite song on the sound system in a department store, only in passing thought, 'hey...that's a great song'.

I thought the twisted logic idea that the songs had merit simply because they weren't popular but were still part of a specialists repertoire was a stretch. Something about the music having gone the distance? No one ever threw out the charts... so it must be good?

Familiarity of the music to the people passing by would have helped gain attention. I improvise on the piano all the time. But while many people say they enjoy my music, it doesn't get as much attention as when I play, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me".

Another D.C. busker I enjoyed on my last visit was an older Asian man playing a stringed gourd instrument with a bow by the Mall. He had a backing track on a small boom box. The music caught my attention well before I could view who was playing. It was very nice stuff.

I am still blown away by some of the street drummers I've heard playing 5-gallon plastic buckets!

On the other hand, if it were Madonna or Britney or Christina or Bono or John Mayer or Paris Hilton.............in other words a real CELEBRITY in modern parlance, I imagine the crowd would have noticed. Bell is best known in smaller circles.

I have a great memory of New Orleans. In the French Quarter I've seen a band set up in the street, after which the police blockaded the street to prevent traffic from interfering with the musicians. According to the local denizens, this was a common occurence. I met a young gal in Lafayette Park playing Frank Zappa on acoustic. Of course this was 1973, it may have changed since then.

Yeah....what he said!

With all honesty there is another parameter that the writer fails to mention!
Even if people were NOT in a hurry,even if it was NOT just another metro performer begging for money for them..........

How many everyday people can actually - and honestly- judge a violin player's performance and skills?Even so,how many have developed the ability to be "seduced" by such music and instruments?
What Im trying to say is,yeah if you dont have a slightest clue about classical music,but somehow find yourself seated in a concert hall and you re told that the violin player who performs on stage is one of the greatest in our times,even if you only are there just because you want to "show" to your friends that you appreciate quality music,when the performer ends and all the hall is standing up and applauding Im sure when asked you ll just answer:"It was a brilliant a performer,this guy has skills".But did you really have a clue?Were you "seduced" by the performance?How many people can actually TELL a good violin performance from a bad one?

Again being totally honest,I have totally no classical music education at all,and taking piano performance as an exception (which I really adore as an instrument) If those videos didnt have a description obviously I also wouldnt have guessed that the guy playing is an internationally known performer,and I wouldnt have been drawn by his "magical" performance as Im really not drawn by the violin as an instrument-as opposed to piano!Ill be even honest to say that even now that I know I still cannot "see" the special skills in these small videos- but again I cant blame being in rush,or in the subway,Im at the comfort of my home on a relaxed sunday afternoon!

The way I see it,lack of pre-informed (concert hall example above) hypocritisism (did I spell that right?),musical experience and above all musical education are the very first reasons not so many people responded!


With these thoughts taken in mind it absolutely makes sense that one guy who stoped to listen,wanted to be a violin player himself in his youth and had taken classical music lessons and the woman that did was because she knew he is "somebody"!