Would you stop for this?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

This guy can play. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html)

The article is way long, but the gist is this: An incredible violin soloist plays some of the most enduring music ever created on a 300 year old Stradivarius in a metro station in D.C. His case is open for donations like any other street performer. Will people stop and watch, will they give him money? Just the night before he had played to a house where the so-so seats were $100 each.

The answer - he made $32.17 in 45 minutes, but that's only because one lady actually recognized him and gave him a twenty. No one else really stopped to listen. They had jobs to get to. They were listening to iPods and thinking about work. One lady led her child away.

In the article they say not to judge people too harshly, as he was "art without a frame", but this still kinda gets me.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Its similar to people I know who don't like going to concerts because the songs don't sound the same as it does on the albums.

Music, for me, has always been about the moment.

[Alex]

I wouldn't stop. But I also wouldn't pay $100 to watch him play in a concert hall.

Street musicians are just adding more unwanted noise to my life (but thats because all music is, to me, just noise). Particularly in subway stations where the acoustics and competing noise are generally horrible and anything that causes people to stop moving in large groups is an annoyance.

The arrogance of the article is somewhat grating as well. Because the writer feels that classical music is the most beautiful thing. Because the performer has played to European heads of state. Because they deign to put these on display for the unwashed masses. Because of all that somehow we're obligated to stop, listen, pay, and screw up our schedules (if I'm delayed five minutes at the BART station in the morning I arrive at work almost 30 minutes later). That somehow "beauty" (whatever that word means) trumps any circumstance.

Somehow it rings of bitching because you put a billboard of a Shakespearean sonnet on an I-5 billboard and nobody pulled over to read it. "That's one of the great art forms by one of the masters of the language, you heathens!"

Move the man out somewhere where the context isn't specifically designed to keep people moving and see if he attracts a crowd. Rather than trying to interrupt these unappreciative drones when they have something that must be done, go to where they relax for lunch and see if the response is better.

[Ponine]

The answer - he made $32.17 in 45 minutes, but that's only because one lady actually recognized him and gave him a twenty.
Not that I want to quibble, but it actually says,
When it was over, Furukawa introduced herself to Bell, and tossed in a twenty. Not counting that -- it was tainted by recognition -- the final haul for his 43 minutes of playing was $32.17. Yes, some people gave pennies.

But I didnt know this until I read the whole thing, because I was honeslty interested. And, have now watched all the video.

[Capt Jack]

yes, I would stop. I stood outside a blues club not all that long ago as a guy played guitar. I think I stood there nearly a half hour talking to the guy listening to him play. Yes, I tipped him. it wasnt $100, but it wasnt pennies either.

[Strangler Lewis]

I wouldn't stop. But I also wouldn't pay $100 to watch him play in a concert hall..

I took my daughter to see Joshua Bell play. Dude worked it out. My daughter thought he was swell.

Move the man out somewhere where the context isn't specifically designed to keep people moving and see if he attracts a crowd. Rather than trying to interrupt these unappreciative drones when they have something that must be done, go to where they relax for lunch and see if the response is better.

I agree. When I worked in downtown San Francisco, there would often be noontime performances in various outdoor eating spots. They usually gathered an appreciative audience.

[€uroMeinke]

Yeah context is everything - this article (which I admittedly didn't read) sounds like a set-up. I rarely tip street musicians, becasue when I encounter them, I'm off to do something else. On the other hand, I often will tip a band or performer I enjoy during dinner.

[Ghoulish Delight]

All one has to do is look at the crowds that gather around the hacks performers in DTD to see what a difference context makes.

[€uroMeinke]

All one has to do is look at the crowds that gather around the hacks performers in DTD to see what a difference context makes.

I thought about mentioning DTD as an exception to my exception - where the outside dinning space is filled with a cacophany of piped in music and over amped "live" performances.

[Scrooge McSam]

I would stop... but then I'd never get to share a special moment with Alex. Plus I'd probably recognize the artist.

[€uroMeinke]

I think as a follow-up they need to put the silver guy in a convert hall and see what kind of box office he makes.

[Not Afraid]

You don't go to a subway to listen to music. I've never thought "it's Friday night in Paris.....let's go hang out in the Metro!"

While I don't mind a good busker now anad then, most of the time it is a sub-par musician and I'm not around them long enough to get an appreciation for their musicianship. Usually, I'm only around long enough to get some annoying song stuck in my head before my train arrives.

[Alex]

Is it just me but does $42.89 (likely tax free for most street musicians) an hour seem pretty good?

If that were consistent and treated like a full time job (obviously this isn't likely; though there there used to be a really bad saxaphone player outside my San Francisco office who made a pretty good effort at it) that would be $85,786/year with two weeks of vacation.

[Strangler Lewis]

I think as a follow-up they need to put the silver guy in a convert hall and see what kind of box office he makes.

Probably still pretty poor. The converts would have given all their money to the church.

[€uroMeinke]

Clearly I've gotten too used to Firefox's spell check feature - damn explorer and personal poor spelling & typing.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

I like buskers so I stop and listen when someone grabs my attention. Sometimes a group grabs my attention; I loved the plastic can drummers that used to hand out in NYC subway stations - this one group in particular was amazing to watch. NYC was pleasant because so many of the young musicians were Julliard students; the had talent.

[mousepod]

I loved the plastic can drummers that used to hang out in NYC subway stations

Larry Wright! (http://www.drummerworld.com/watchlistdrummers/Larry_Wright.html)

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Larry Wright! (http://www.drummerworld.com/watchlistdrummers/Larry_Wright.html)

Hot DAMN! Sadly, I never saw him play. Man.

[cirquelover]

Is it just me but does $42.89 (likely tax free for most street musicians) an hour seem pretty good?

If that were consistent and treated like a full time job (obviously this isn't likely; though there there used to be a really bad saxaphone player outside my San Francisco office who made a pretty good effort at it) that would be $85,786/year with two weeks of vacation.


I was thinking the same thing. That's actually pretty good for 45 minutes work and he didn't have to work that hard.

I also agree that he would probably make more not being in the subway where people are in a hurry. I remember a lot of street musicians in San Francisco last year.