Interesting article

[Smelodies]

Why expect S&P, Moody?s, or Fitch to know it's junk when expert musicians can't tell a Stradivarius from a fiddle? | vox - Research-based policy analysis and commentary from leading economists

[jorgemg1984]

Interesting - I posted the stardivarius part in a recent thread about overpriced gear. Although I don't quite get the connection to rating agencies honestly

[Pierrot]

This reminds me an experiment, with Joshua Bell, one of the best violin players of any time, playing Bach in the subway, and almost nobody stopping to listen...

Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost.com

YouTube Video

[jorgemg1984]

And probably most of them would pay loads of money to see him playing at some venue and it was incredible at the end (those who could afford it of course)

[JazzReggie]

Originally Posted by Pierrot

This reminds me an experiment, with Joshua Bell, one of the best violin players of any time, playing Bach in the subway, and almost nobody stopping to listen...

Pearls Before Breakfast - washingtonpost.com

It's an interesting video, but I don't think it's all that surprising, for a number of reasons:

• it was done during morning rush hour, when many people will be in a hurry
• it was done in a noisy environment
• the people passing by probably see many talented buskers in the same area every day, and don't want to be stopping and giving money to each one
• beautiful music or not, there are a lot of negative connotations with busking

There is a lot to be said for context - I suspect the results of a similar experiment on the weekend, in a park, and with his violin case closed would be somewhat different.

[Pierrot]

Originally Posted by JazzReggie

It's an interesting video, but I don't think it's all that surprising, for a number of reasons:

• it was done during morning rush hour, when many people will be in a hurry
• it was done in a noisy environment
• the people passing by probably see many talented buskers in the same area every day, and don't want to be stopping and giving money to each one
• beautiful music or not, there are a lot of negative connotations with busking

There is a lot to be said for context - I suspect the results of a similar experiment on the weekend, in a park, and with his violin case closed would be somewhat different.

hmmm, I'd actually like to have a better and more fluid english to answer your points...

1) many people in a hurry...When you are in front of BEAUTY, how can you keep rushing? I don't get it...not even a look at whom is producing such marvellous sounds?...

2) noisy environment...I'd say that there is some noise, that's true, but far from being really disturbing...even the natural reverb of the space contributes to give a special touch to the music...

3) give money to each buskers, many of them talented... he was just PLAYING, nobody was directly asking for money...do you really believe there are so many buskers as talented as Joshua Bell, or Itzhak Perlman, or Anne Sophie Mutter? I think neither Joe Pass, nor George Benson hypothetically playing in the subway come even close and I have a profound respect for the skills of those two guys...

More, what's wrong with playing for money? The most talented players, (and a myriad of more mediocre musicians) play their music for a living. Be it in a theatre, in a small pub or in the subway, I can't really catch that difference...

4) negative connotations with busking...maybe for you, sorry. Many began playing in public in restaurants or public places, and later made a career as pro musicians playing in important concert halls around the world, but surely remember with tenderness those years of freedom...



@OP: I'm sorry, it was not, neither it is, my intention to hijack the thread, which is interesting enough by itself.

[JazzReggie]

To the OP, I'm also sorry for the thread derail. I've created a new topic to continue discussion there if anyone is interested:

Busking - Joshua Bell Experiment