Cultural Collapse, or just Busy Commuters?

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  • devonin
    Very Grave Indeed
    Event Staff
    FFR Simfile Author
    • Apr 2004
    • 10120
    #1

    Cultural Collapse, or just Busy Commuters?

    Check out the news story here:
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html


    The 50-cent version: The Washington Post decided to conduct a test in Washington DC as regards placing a busker in a very busy metro station during the morning rush, to see how many people would stop and listen, and how many would donate some money.

    The catch: The busker (though dressed in just jeans, a t-shirt and a baseball cap) was Joshua Bell, arguably the greatest classical violinist alive.

    From the article:
    Do you stop and listen? Do you hurry past with a blend of guilt and irritation, aware of your cupidity but annoyed by the unbidden demand on your time and your wallet? Do you throw in a buck, just to be polite? Does your decision change if he's really bad? What if he's really good? Do you have time for beauty? Shouldn't you? What's the moral mathematics of the moment?
    He spent 45 minutes performing some of the most impressive and beautiful violin music I've ever heard, and also from the article:
    In the three-quarters of an hour that Joshua Bell played, seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run -- for a total of $32 and change. That leaves the 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many only three feet away, few even turning to look.
    What, if anything, does this signify about the state of culture and appreciation for beauty in the world today?

    Have we lost touch with the finer things in our rush to get where the paycheck is? Can we only appreciate beauty if we schedule the time to go and see it? Or was it just foolish to think businesspeople during rush hour would have the time to stop even if they wanted to?

    The other really interesting factoid from the article (though really all of it was fascinating reading) every single child, without exception, tried to stop and listen, and was pulled away by the adult with them.
    Tags: None
    • RandomPscho
      FFR Player
      • Jun 2006
      • 504
      #2
      Re: Cultural Collapse, or just Busy Commuters?

      Well for one, most people do ignore the people playing music on the street, whether classical or otherwise. They just ignore them because most people think they are hobo's or the like that just want money.

      Second, not everyone considers classical music to be beautiful and/or enjoyable. I probably would never stop to listen to classical music, ever. I don't care how good it is played, I still don't like classical music.

        Comment

        • devonin
          Very Grave Indeed
          Event Staff
          FFR Simfile Author
          • Apr 2004
          • 10120
          #3
          Re: Cultural Collapse, or just Busy Commuters?

          I pride myself on being willing to acknowledge that even when it is something I don't personally like, I can at least admit that it's being done well, and appreciate it on that level.

          To me, at least, it is -always- a pleasure to see something being done to a very high degree of skill, even if it's something I personally have no especial love for.

          Even if you don't like classical music, if you know anything about music at all, you can tell the difference between a prodigy playing exceptional music on an exceptional instrument, and some random hack playing the right-hand of chopsticks on a piano.

            Comment

            • RandomPscho
              FFR Player
              • Jun 2006
              • 504
              #4
              Re: Cultural Collapse, or just Busy Commuters?

              Even if you don't like classical music, if you know anything about music at all, you can tell the difference between a prodigy playing exceptional music on an exceptional instrument, and some random hack playing the right-hand of chopsticks on a piano.
              When played on a street, 95% of people would probably just ignore it and walk quickly past, as if it will prevent the guilt of not giving money to a person who probably needs it. Besides, the focus is not that people are ignoring the music and do not care for the music, the point of the article is to show how people react, and the good musician is thrown in because it would be pointless to have somebody that is awful playing music. Less people would donate if the player was terrible.

                Comment

                • Chrissi
                  FFR Player
                  • Mar 2004
                  • 3019
                  #5
                  Re: Cultural Collapse, or just Busy Commuters?

                  I don't like to think myself better than most... I try not to say that I am an exception to a crowd unless I am fairly sure. And in this case, I think I would be an exception. Why?

                  1) I've never seen a busker in my life. It would be interesting. I'd stop and have a listen, might even stay the entire time he was there, since he's apparently so good. I'd have no reason to leave.

                  2) I'm never in a hurry.

                  3) I tend to appreciate things that others don't.

                  So while I understand the social tendency for people to ignore buskers when they are on the way to work, well, I simply think that I wouldn't. I'm not that busy businessperson. I can give my attention, and am sure that I would. And to know this.... well, it makes me happy, that if I were there, I would have given him the attention he deserves. Unfortunately, I wasn't.
                  C is for Charisma, it's why people think I'm great! I make my friends all laugh and smile and never want to hate!

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