Philippe Quint rings Joshua Bell
http://www.adaptistration.com/sticksanddrones/2008/05/phillipe-quint.html
Philippe Quint rings Joshua's Bell!!!!
Here is the link.
[Update: New link. Old one is now broken.]
Replies (18)
That article sums it up better than anything I've read about it so far. That is the one that deserves the Pulitzer instead. I used to have respect for Pulitzer prizes. What Josh and the Post accomplished was to demonstrate the classical irrelevance of classical music, and several different ways at once! Phase two, let's get our tax money back ;)
"Forgive me but are they suggesting the work ethic of those in "other" jobs are not important if Josh bell is playing, so it's OK for them to be late?"
saved by the bell?
I didn't think the Washington Post experiment had anything to do with the kind of music performed. Had they had a disguised virtuoso of any other genre of music play there, the outcome would almost certainly have been the same. All it proves is that people who are on their way to work do not pay attention to anything other than the act of getting to work itself. Hardly a surprise.
I suggest the following experiment to show the circumstances make all the difference.
Have Joshua Bell repeat his stunt in the departure lobby of a B747 flight timed such that passengers would miss their flight if they stopped to listen.
Then have Joshua Bell do the very same thing upon arrival after luggage reclaim and completion of any immigration/customs formalities.
Finally, ask those who don't stop to listen the second time either why they didn't stop. Chance is most of them have a bus, a train or another flight to catch. In any event, there should be a significant difference in the number of listeners.
I actually believe that there is a more profound reading into Bell's poorly received playing, which is that people blatantly ignore people begging for money or people trying to get their attention. It doesn't matter whether they are a virtuoso violinist, a bum begging for a quarter, or somebody handing out pamphlets. People will try not to acknowledge the people asking for their time so they won't have other people (read: their conscience) asking them why they acknowledged so and so but didn't give them their time? It's an excuse people are socially conditioned to give themselves in order so that they don't have to give a quarter to everybody on the street, because in all likelihood you just can't. I think it has little to do with the fact that people had trains to catch - if you read the article, you'll know that not everybody who had a second to spare spared it. Not everybody was a doctor on an emergency or a timpanist rushing to their gig.
If you don't believe me, just ask yourself if you've ever just pretended that the-person-handing-out-larouche-booklets just doesn't exist. If Bell had put up a sign saying something along the lines of "I AM JUST PLAYING FOR FUN - FEEL FREE TO STOP AND LISTEN IF IT PLEASES YOU - HAVE A NICE DAY" I'm sure plenty of people would have stopped and have had their minds blown.
Charles, very interesting point. I have to admit that I purposefully ignore anybody who appears to be trying to solicit anything on the street or at my door, however, I do make a conscious exception for street musicians if I like what I hear. Probably there are other music lovers who feel the same way. But, yes, the notion to ignore "beggars" would likely have been a significant factor.
I agree, Charles has a good point. But sometimes the reason we ignore the person-handing-out-larouche-booklets still has to do with time (which, like money, is a limited resource for most individuals). I've met people like this frequently between the subway stop (Kendall Square in downtown Cambridge) and work (about a 7-minute walk away, 5 if I'm walking fast). I've started just looking them right in the eye and saying "sorry, I'm really in a hurry right now," as I rush past. It's usually the truth, and since they are often not for larouche but for MASSPIRG or Sierra Club or Bikes not Bombs or some other cause that I would care about in another context, I don't feel guilty, and they don't seem to mind.
I'd put listening to Bell in that category: I care about listening to him about as much as I do about helping the environment, but often the street is not the right time for either one.
And I agree pretty much with the author of this article, that the subway stunt was pre-set up to find an unflattering and unfair conclusion about the general public. But I don't think the title of this article is particularly fair to Bell, either. Bell wasn't in a competition with Quint to see who could give a more inclusive, feel-good concert.
I liked the NYT article way better than the Bell busking stunt article. The Bell article had a whiff of
"ACTION NEWS AT 10:00...COMING UP...FAMOUS VIOLINIST..."
blah blah. (Sorry, I don't care for television snews.) The NYT article was rather sweet, and was respectful of the cabdrivers that enjoyed the free concert.
Also, there is really no comparison of the two violinists: Quint is much better looking than Bell. No comparison!
Well said Karen.
I tend to believe that Bell's experiment was just that: an experiment to see what would happen. I don't think he would have been dissappointed if the mass gathered around him as opposed to the huge ego blow he may have suffered as a result of the outcome.
I look up to Bell along with a few other musicians like Yo-Yo Ma who really step outside the box of this industry to try different things and make classical music more approachable. We need more people like this who are willing to bridge the gap between western art music lovers and people who are not familiar with it.
Busking is a hugely misunderstood and underated profession. Did you know that in NYC those musicians you see performing in the subways actually had to audition to play there through the MUNY (Music Under NY program)? They get assigned times and dates to play and must carry a MUNY license. I once heard an interview with a busker on NPR's Fresh Air titled "I Make $50,000 a Year Busking." Buskers know that there is a strategy to making money this way like having a coveted spot like Penn Station or Times Square, and the times of day, usually before or after rush hour when people are not running around like maniacs to catch trains.
I don't see the purpose of comparing Quint and Bell's performances as in "who's right/who's wrong" terms. They were both centered on publicity with no ill intent.
before bell did the subway gig, could mr spigelman have predicted with certainty (like betting with his own money) what the outcome would have been, that is, how many people stopped to listen, how much money in the violin case? the answer is no, and therefore, there is a value to the outcome of bell's experiment, not necessarily easily appreciated by people like spiegelman. it is always easier to look back and pick side. it is much less work to pen a piece in front of a computer than someone somewhere making an effort to check things out with due diligence.
i would consider quint's action/reaction after the return of the violin quite genuine. is it driven by the need for publicity? hey, why do you care and does it matter? :)
it is rather oxymoronic to read about the negative sentiments of violinists toward publicity. um, you are a performing artist, which means people need to know who you are and therefore some may come to see and hear you. can we just get over it, like rinse the sour taste off and move on ?:)
Spiegelman really seems to have it out for that Bell experiment. He really seems to have missed the point, instead focusing on what he perceives to be a vicious "we gotcha" campaign on the part of the Post.
I'm rather surprised at his position, being a music director. Those people that he is defending that are too busy to stop and listen to high quality playing are most likely the same that are too busy to attend his orchestra performances. But maybe he doesn't have to go out and beat the street to drum up ticket sales.
What I found most annoying in that Washington Post article was the lady which complained about street musicians in general, saying she would always call the police to have them removed.
We tolerate so many different sources of really unhealthy noise all day long and hardly ever seem to be prepared to stick our necks out for a quieter environment. Most of the time we put up with all kinds of noise without a thought. Yet, there are people who get seriously upset about singing birds and street musicians. Wicked.
Actually Greg, that is exactly what I have been doing as a music director, but not by trying to tackle people when they are on their way to work! Plus if people are too busy to attend a concert, I actually respect that. I believe in earning, not expecting people's time. However, people don't attend just because they don't have the time or even out lack of appreciation, there are many reasons, but the primary reason in my view is that we are not relevant to them and that is our fault not theirs. Again just my opinion, and if you check out my blog (category Plugging the Holes) you will read what we have been doing in Springfield which has resulted in a 50% increase in subscribers and a 97% renewal rate (shameless gloating I know). Let me clarify some things, and thanks for the vine Mark:
I am not comparing the two Violinists, both great artists.
Whilst the purpose of the events were different, they were in somewhat similar settings, and both covered by major newspapers.
I am just highlighting the stark contrast, where one paper (NYT) was simply reporting a story and the other (WP) was creating a story (to their benefit ultimately) on very dubious assertions and very biased conclusions. My issue is with the WP not Josh Bell.
If this was a true experiment then they would have had more integrity if they had done a "FDA esque" double blind study for the puropses of finding true effectiveness and a balanced view to report on. I like what Charles suggested by putting up this sign (how about on a different day in addition to the original experiment?)
"I AM JUST PLAYING FOR FUN - FEEL FREE TO STOP AND LISTEN IF IT PLEASES YOU - HAVE A NICE DAY"
Bronfman played a free recital (for the NYC Foodbank) in NYC Grand Central Station reported here
http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/7223.html
The reults were very different and the article used the world "maybe" a lot, which means it was not concluding anything.
I think in the end my point is that we are not gong to have our cause helped if something is set up to fail and to make people look potentially stupid. And yes Al, I would have bet money this would have failed (well $1 anyway), I mean Slatkin in the WP article wasn't far off calling the result! I appreciate the discussion and all of the comments
Ron Spigelman
mr spigelman, thanks for your post. now i know you are a member here we just have to throw the courtesy out of the window:)
i would like to make one distinction, to separate 2 entities so readers are clear about different perspectives.
i am looking at the 2 events as neutrally as possible, even though i am partial to classical music. i looked at bell's as a wacky experiment and quint's a fairy tale, without any good wishes from me that either incident will bring classical music under better light, or bad wishes that they crash and burn.
i have a feeling given your position, you are more partial to classical music than i am. you may be more supportive of causes that present classical music clearly and positively and question those that are not. i understand and appreciate that.
however, there are many unanswered issues with bell's which may or may not have anything to do with classical music, as some have discussed above or elsewhere.
if announcement was made ahead of time that bell would be in the subway, what would be like? more commotion besides couple female v.comers camping out the night before? how many morning rushers rearrange their work schedule to listen to him and go to work late?
if better acoustics could be arranged so that people could really hear his playing, would that make a difference to total strangers?
we don't know, but bell's made a first step in one direction.
Wow! Thanks for the response Mr. Spigelman (name spelled correctly, now). Congratulations on the subscribers, and thanks for clarification. I shouldn't post things so early in the morning on the internet. Sorry for sounding snarky.
Snarky - I like this word, what does it mean?
snarky:
sarcastic
disrespectfull
short
I would do ANYTHING to listen to a live free performance by Joshua Bell. Even if my piano quintet made it to the Fishoff, (yeah, like that will ever happen), and I needed to take the subway to the airport, I would miss my flight to listen to that guy.
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May 26, 2008 at 07:46 PM · It's presumably true that a lot of people are rushing to work, but I'm sure there are people who could had spared five minutes. In another society and culture where Classical music has a higher relevance I bet Mr. Bell will have a larger audience. I actually don't see the connection between Joshua Bell experiment and Phillipe Quint taxi-driver concert, besides the fact they both recorded the Red Violin Caprices...