Great read!

[The Seeker]

"If we can't take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that -- then what else are we missing?"

This is a long but great read:

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

 

[Deadlift]

Well....depends on what your definition of good music is.

 

[hibernal_dream]

Interesting stuff.

I think the most likely explanation is that everyone was so busy that no-one even listened. I mean, you're a busy person going to your job in the morning, of course you're not going to stop and listen. I don't think I would either. It wouldn't have mattered if the guy was a homeless busker, world famous musician or the reincarnation of Mozart himself. The experiment doesn't really say anything at all about "the loss of appreciation of beauty in the modern world".

 

[Don Corleone]

excellent read deffo

 

[wankerness]

Interesting stuff.

I think the most likely explanation is that everyone was so busy that no-one even listened. I mean, you're a busy person going to your job in the morning, of course you're not going to stop and listen. I don't think I would either. It wouldn't have mattered if the guy was a homeless busker, world famous musician or the reincarnation of Mozart himself. The experiment doesn't really say anything at all about "the loss of appreciation of beauty in the modern world".

No kidding, I'm never walking the streets looking for entertainment from street performers, I'm GOING SOMEWHERE. It would take a full band playing my favorite songs to even snap me out of the "going somewhere stfu" trance for more than 4 seconds, and then only if I didn't have timed obligations. This experiment is completely biased and would never stand in a scientific context thanks to all the variables they're unable to control, like the destination of the people walking past. If he was playing in the middle of a park or somewhere that people actually had a high chance of being on leisure time things assuredly would have been different.

 

[Risquit]

One of my fondest memories of New York was listening to two elderly Asian guys playing violins on opposite sides of a subway platform.

 

[Alex78]

Wankerness has a point. my thoughts exactly

 

[Hope Leaves]

BELL ENDS "AVE MARIA"

there's no need for that

 

[Luz]

No kidding, I'm never walking the streets looking for entertainment from street performers, I'm GOING SOMEWHERE. It would take a full band playing my favorite songs to even snap me out of the "going somewhere stfu" trance for more than 4 seconds, and then only if I didn't have timed obligations. This experiment is completely biased and would never stand in a scientific context thanks to all the variables they're unable to control, like the destination of the people walking past. If he was playing in the middle of a park or somewhere that people actually had a high chance of being on leisure time things assuredly would have been different.

+1

 

[Don Corleone]

No kidding, I'm never walking the streets looking for entertainment from street performers, I'm GOING SOMEWHERE. It would take a full band playing my favorite songs to even snap me out of the "going somewhere stfu" trance for more than 4 seconds, and then only if I didn't have timed obligations. This experiment is completely biased and would never stand in a scientific context thanks to all the variables they're unable to control, like the destination of the people walking past. If he was playing in the middle of a park or somewhere that people actually had a high chance of being on leisure time things assuredly would have been different.

agreed...partially.

yes, i am going somewhere when im on the street and as a person who is always late, im always in a hurry. i never have any time for whats going on around me.

yet, wankerness, im sure everybody here would stop, or at least halt for 5 seconds, if a musician on the street played a song that they knew well...lets say on, guitar.

and i can certainly say i would stop and pay attention to a guitarist playing, say, the opening riff of ghost of perdition...or the comfortably numb solo...i would at least stop and pay attention for some time.

wouldnt you agree?

 

[wankerness]

Well, I don't live int he middle of a city, but whenever I'm walking the sidewalks there it's just cause I'm headed to/from work or some other such obligation. Probably 1/5 times I'm walking around in a city do I have the time to stop for more than 5 seconds. If I had heard joshua bell playing, I would have thought "Goddam that's one talented street performer" but I wouldn't have sacrificed whatever obligations I had to stand around and listen to it. And standing around for 5 seconds without making a donation didn't count by this stupid "study's" qualifications so it's kind of a moot point anyway.

Also, I wouldn't stop if I heard either of those things you mentioned unless it was a full band. Playing parts from rock songs on solo guitar is pretty bad news, and I know how they're supposed to sound so unless the guy is doing some weird fingerstyle version of it I have little or no interest. I MIGHT drop the opeth guy a buck for having good taste.

 

[Carta's]

Once, I saw a couple of people singing and playing with a guitar some "God is beauty, all love God!"-style songs. Yet there was quite a crowd around them.

Back on Bell, I completely agree with Wankerness.