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Slow down and enjoy life
- Thread starter Radical Edward
- Start date
I've found myself stopping and listening to sidewalk performers all the time, like this shredder violinist that hangs out in front of the Blockbuster video by my house and a pianist that plays at an outdoor strip mall type place down the street, and I always give tips if I have money, if not just for the looks I get when people see a 23 year old dude wearing sleeveless Cannibal Corpse shirt with "KILL" in big bloody letters on the back giving an older gray haired man playing some classical piece a 5 dollar tip. 
Doing it at rush hour when people are going to and from work is obviously going to produce the "people are too busy to enjoy life" results. Try it on a Saturday afternoon.
-Mike
-Mike
This was my thinking on it. I mean, yes, a lot of us could slow down just a tad, but expecting it of all times during rush hour is a bit much.
I suppose not everyone likes music that much, but then again life may be moving so fast that the priorities won't allow you to lose yourself for a few minutes?
There was a busking Cellist where I used to live (City of Bath), she was a beautiful classical musician in both senses, I remember going to work one morning through the streets, it was quite misty and quite early so no-one was pretty much around. I looked up that particular street and saw her from a distance in the mist playing as she did, subliminal, I'll never forget that frame, it's like a photograph even now, chilled to the max and back.
There was a busking Cellist where I used to live (City of Bath), she was a beautiful classical musician in both senses, I remember going to work one morning through the streets, it was quite misty and quite early so no-one was pretty much around. I looked up that particular street and saw her from a distance in the mist playing as she did, subliminal, I'll never forget that frame, it's like a photograph even now, chilled to the max and back.
My first reaction was that $32 in 45 minutes is not too bad of a pay rate. But it also shows that, no big surprise, the average person on the street cannot hear the difference between OK music and great music.
Does it really show that, though? I love great music, but not enough to be late to work over it. If Eric Avery or Robert De Leo were playing bass on my way back from lunch break Im gonna look at the clock and see how much time I have to spare before deciding to stand around an watch for a while.
+1.
That's really cool.
Unfortunately, I'm perpetually running late to work. Now on the way home, I'd be willing to hang out for a few minutes for something like that. But the typical buskers in the train stations are pretty ordinary.
Just finally read the link haha.. there is a video of this, probably on youtube.
I remember seeing it on the news a while back as well. It is pretty remarkable.
As someone who goes through Penn Station every day, I almost always stop and listen to the people who perform there. You see some real talent at times.
I remember seeing it on the news a while back as well. It is pretty remarkable.
As someone who goes through Penn Station every day, I almost always stop and listen to the people who perform there. You see some real talent at times.
Fair point. I was generalizing, and I'll certainly grant the point that people during rush hour don't have time to listen to street musicians no matter how good they are. But I suspect that if a college student were busking with a $500 violin on the other side of the station he would have gotten the same amount of attention and money in his case.
If it's at a station the only people around are gonna be people trying to get somewhere. You don't just wander around aimlessly, you need to get that train! I think I would stop if there was music more relevant to my interests or something really out of the ordinary... Like if there was some solo bass player, that would be cool! But I wouldn't risk being late for uni just listening to some dude on the street, I have my attendance to worry about!
There's beauty in the hectic mad rush to work... I suppose? :S
There's beauty in the hectic mad rush to work... I suppose? :S
