A friend of mine sent me a video/news article from the Washington Post and I'd thought I'd share it with you. It's an excellent article, beautifully written, thoughtful and it captures some really deep issues of our times. Just a note though, make sure you watch the short video first BEFORE you read the article and see what you notice. Read and watch here!
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Funny my friend e-mailed me this video. A very similar situation happened to me quite recently. A few weeks ago, I was at the Astor Place metro stop getting ready to do some errands. While waiting for the metro, there was a musician (violinist) performing a Bach gavotte, which I recognized having played it myself. His playing literally stopped me in my tracks; there was such a warmth and richness in his tone I just had to stop and listen. Unfortunately, I had to stand in place because no one else was budging (and there is only so much space on the metro waiting platform). For the next few minutes or so I'm staring at this incredible musician and no one else even notices! Is it a lack of appreciation for classical music that this happens or just the place and time of day? And I wonder, what does it take to recognize talent?
Sadly, I blame both our lifestyle and the public schools for the state of our current culture which seems not void of true and genuine talent and beauty, but rather silent on the matter altogether. There is nothing really cliche about stopping to smell the roses.
Reflecting back on the article. We should acknowledge how much our admiration of people and things may be based upon fame and status - what we think other people think, rather than what we really think ourselves - and strive to become more educated and sincere.
I wonder if I would have stopped. Would I be in too much of a hurry to notice the beauty before me? It is quite possible that I would have kept going because my focus would have been where I was going and not where I was. It is a profound lesson that I am taking to heart. I am going to take that deep breath, stay conscious of what is around me, be in the moment, and if a Joshua Bell type experience comes my way, I am going to pay attention.
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2 comments:
It is such a long story. Street musicians are all around us every day. As a musician myself, I would listen to them when I was waiting for the train or waiting for some one. The funny thing is, I would always tell them in my mind "I'm also a poor musician, I'll give you some money when I'm rich enough some day." Don't know if that day will really come, but I do sometimes find the street musicians very good, and even better than we are!! It can really light up your day when you hear some unexpected and beautiful sound on the street!
It's all about sample size. Playing in a high-traffic area brings about a larger sample size and therefore dilutes the amount of music enthusiasts. That, compounded by the fact that many people were too busy or preoccupied was the reason why so little people stuck around to listen.
I'm sure if it was you in that situation, you would have realized the quality of the piece and stopped. Afterall, you studied music all your life. Even with my short exposure to orchestra in my highschool years, I've always noticed the street music around me.
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