Isaac Stern's Student Plays for Pennies

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I read this http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html" - maybe some of you know it. Basically it's about Joshua Bell, a world-famous violinist, who plays for the public for less than an hour, in a station. Only one person recognised him, and he earned $32.17! Most people just threw pennies. Besides the one woman that recognised him, it was only the children with their parents that were actually interested in Bell. I think that says much about our lives, and about adults and chidren. It also reminds me (leave your qualms at the door) about the angel knocking on people's doors, the story from the Bible (no, I am not christian). Our lives are so busy and self-centred, it takes a child to stop and be interested. Why was the child interested? My theory is that Bell was different. Bell was not like other adults to the child. Most adults are pretty much the same. Going about each day the same- the daily grind, rushing off to work etc. Bell was different. He stood there playing his violin, amidst all the noise, and the scurrying about.

"Most people, they play music; they don't feel it," Tindley says. "Well, that man was feeling it. That man was moving. Moving into the sound."

It is a long article, but tell me what you think of this.
 
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Get a random musician to stand around and play/sing for coins vs. this violinist and see what happens.

I'm betting kids would still stop and look and nobody else would care.

Anyway, yes you are right, most adults are the same. They care about making enough money to support themselves and their families. They don't have the luxury to stop and go crazy, because they have actual responsibilities.

I realize that a world-class violinist isn't a rock star, but he was essentially practicing, doing his job, anyway.
 
I've tried busking a few times with my fiddle and also with my guitar... Although I'm a much better guitarist than fiddle player I always made more money with the violin. I once made $20 in an hour standing outside a starbucks - people would come out with change in their hands and just give it to me.

One trick I used to make parents stop was to get kids to sing "twinkle twinkle little star" while I played the melody. Occasionally I get the kid to try playing "twinkle twinkle" too. Then the parents have to pay me and buy their kid a violin. :-)
 
I rarely stop to listen to street musicians. But when I do stop, I rarely fail to put a dollar in the hat. Here's a joke.
A street musician is playing the violin under the window of the apartment of Isaac Stern. Isaac leans out the window and shouts down to him, "Play quieter!". The next day the violinist is back, this time with a sign that says: "Student of Isaac Stern".