Pearls before breakfast

[mdlbear]

Fascinating article in the Washington Post about what happens when a famous musician tries his hand at busking in the subway at rush hour. Kinda sad, actually, though a few people noticed. I think many of us, myself included, need to stop and notice beauty more often. Yeah, sometimes I'm stopped in my tracks by a bird, a fish, a flower, or a pretty girl on my walks, and sometimes I'll see a rainbow as I'm driving to work. But I rarely mention it to anyone, or put it in my LJ.

If a tree falls in the forest...

(First spotted in this post by ohiblather; later seen on artbeco and cflute. Maybe I should post less about geekery and more about things that matter.)

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

A commenter on cflute's post noted that there was a possibly fatal flaw in the experiment... he noted that an experienced busker would not have chosen morning rush to ply his trade. And he's right; I never see buskers in Pike Place before about 10am... but I do see them quite a bit when I walk home that route. (Matter of fact, there used to be a cellist that would hang out at my old stop on 4th and Pike in the afternoons... I rather liked him.)

I have to argue with the idea that geekery does not matter. We would not be who we are without it. Though a pretty girl may brighten our day, she is not a part of our internal makeup.

Further, our style of geekery is the geekery of freedom. I sure as heck *hope* it matters.

I think Bob Marley's motto quickly sums up (most of) that which is important, at least to me: "Peace and love and liberty... and music."

[mdlbear]

Others have pointed out that, even with the poor choice of timing, he took in what amounted to $40/hour. Probably could have done at least twice that in the evening when people weren't as rushed.

The geekery is important, but I don't think there's enough balance in my posting. Or in my life, for that matter. I have a tendency to get sucked in by the hack of the moment at the expense of other things that are arguably more important in the long run. I could easily put off my firewall upgrade and leave the new DSL line on the laptop until after the taxes and the last of the recording are done, for example.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

I think it is in our Buddha-nature to be annoyed by things like laptop-based firewalls and such until they're Right. Just as cflute isn't ready to go filk until she's got all the yarn projects she'll need to occupy her hands when she's not playing flute. It's not right, it's not wrong, it is simply the way of the world. We might wish it otherwise but as she says, as soon be annoyed at water for being wet.

Let's put it this way. I *like* the geekery posts, and will miss them if they go away.

[mdlbear]

"I *like* the geekery posts, and will miss them if they go away."

Small chance of that! I think the way it'll work is that you'll see more of the other kind.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

More posts! More reason to hit refresh, comment, update! Yay! :)

(what the heck was that one that was *about* hitting refresh one more time? I *think* I heard it at Consonance; I'm almost certain I also heard it at NorWes, which case I'd have to enlist cflute's aid to refresh my memory... )

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

I'm reminded of Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora busking in the Moscow Subways a few days before their groundbreaking concerts in Moscow in the late eighties. At first, they stuck to rock classics, but then as they realized that no one was really seeing them, they started playing Bon Jovi songs.

This lead to their acoustic set on the MTV Music Video Awards, and the whole unplugged movement.

But yeah, morning is the the wrong time to busk. You get the lunch crowd, and the homeward bound commute.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

That icon is evil... I almost lost a keyboard 'cause I was taking a drink when I realized what it was...

I like it. :)

[jilara.livejournal.com]

There is more than just music psych going on here. Notice that the guy who stopped had his time down to the minute as to how long he could afford. People trying to avoid being late for work, focused. There's more flex in the evening commute, less consequences. I'm normally one of those people who hears music, stops, listens, contributes money. Especially if the person is good. Heck, I used to go searching out "mystery music" I heard drifting. But there are times when I have to "tune out" out of necessity. Can't stop to smell the roses, no time.

Our society loses something in the rush to keep up. Graciousness, I think. Leisure. Quality of life.

[phillip2637.livejournal.com]

Another take on this is, how many people could identify the difference between a stellar classical violinist and a "merely" competent one in a blind test, lasting seconds, in an acoustically poor setting? I've heard some good players and a couple of much-better-than-that ones in concert, but I admit that I'd have no chance of passing my proposed test.

If it were guitar, which I pretend to play and which I've listened to almost daily for 45 years or so, I might have a chance, but....

[jilara.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, what about the Stradivarius? I know that a friend, who who is a reasonably good violinist, used to busk playing on a second-rate violin, and got little notice and very little money. Then he got to play using a friend's first-rate early 19th century violin, and the listening and money increased about 2000%. And he sounded remarkable. All that just from the upgrade in instrument. Now imagine a Strad...