Hey Freak!

We've probably all seen street musicians, out and about, playing for tips. Some of us have stopped to listen, occasionally. Sometimes, we leave tips. But I think that most people are just annoyed by street musicians, and probably think that the world would be a better place if these one-step-up-from-a-beggar people were cleaned off the streets.

So. What happens when one of the world's greatest violinists shows up at a subway station with a violin worth $3.5 million and starts playing for tips? Would people notice the musical genius? Would crowds gather 'round for a free concert of classics (granted, nobody knew that he was a musician who normally plays for people paying more than $100 a ticket to hear him)? Would he even make twenty bucks?

He emerged from the Metro at the L'Enfant Plaza Station and positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.

It was 7:51 a.m. on Friday, January 12, the middle of the morning rush hour. In the next 43 minutes, as the violinist performed six classical pieces, 1,097 people passed by. Almost all of them were on the way to work, which meant, for almost all of them, a government job. L'Enfant Plaza is at the nucleus of federal Washington, and these were mostly mid-level bureaucrats with those indeterminate, oddly fungible titles: policy analyst, project manager, budget officer, specialist, facilitator, consultant.

...

No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. His performance was arranged by The Washington Post as an experiment in context, perception and priorities -- as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?

It's a very interesting article about human nature. It sure made me stop and think... "What would I do in that situation?" Would I be just another passer-by, simply ignoring the performance? Could I be moved by the performance of a street musician? I would like to think that I'd at least stop and listen (and tip), in appreciation of the talent, even if I wasn't moved. So, I guess, the big question that I asked myself was "What kind of person do I want myself to be?"

Go ahead. Read the full story. Would you have stopped and listened? What would you have done?

I had the same questions you did when I first read the article. I would like to think I'd be aware enough of my surroundings and open to the experience that I would have stopped to listen but who knows? Whenever I had to go into DC for a meeting or conference, I was rushing, probably not in a great mood because those days usually meant I had to wake up earlier, etc. You get the picture. Since reading the article a year ago, however, I've tried to be more in tune with what's going on around me... varying degrees of success though. Ah well. It's all a constant learning process.

I actually stop and listen to street musicians on a regular basis. I also frequently leave money, and I've bought CDs from street buskers before. I found an awesome guy once in the London Underground.

I like buskers -- it's a little bit out of the ordinary, so it's a special treat for the day (caveat: I like them when they're playing well. even if I don't like the music, I can appreciate a good musician). I don't know if I would have noticed Josh Bell, but I did go get his CD after I saw the video. I think it's pretty damn outstanding.

If I was on my way to work? I'd probably just walk by. Any other time, it's hard to say. I'd like to say I'd stop, but I don't really know if I would.

Living in Vegas, it sometimes feels impossible to walk down the street without having someone try to sell you something or ask for money. I genuinely feel for some people, but sometimes it's hard to tell the truly needy from the scammers.

Sometimes, avoiding eye contact really is the best policy. Especially when passing the porn peddlers on the strip.

It would entirely depend on how much of a rush I was in. If not so much, I would have stopped and listened.

I like to think I would have at least stopped to listen. In the past, depending on if the person/people I was with allowed me to, I've stopped to listen to street musicians.

Depending on the time I had available I probably would have stopped and listened. I enjoy street musicians (even the young guys beating on plastic buckets have more talent in their pinky than most MTV performers). I can honestly say, though I wouldn't have had a clue as to who he was or what the violin was worth, I would have stopped and listened. Might've even tipped depending on what I had in my pocket.

There's a local guy around Troy, NY that plays the blues on a folk guitar at the local farmer's market, sometimes at the local art gallery named John Winslow. I've bought almost all of his homemade cds. He's an old timer, but he's really great.

I totally would have stopped. I am late for everything anyways, so I am never in a rush - I am okay with just being late. I too frequently stop and watch street performers and my husband and I on several occasions have bought their CD's or DVD's.

But, I am also a HUGE fan of classical classics - had them playing non-stop, 24/7 in both my kids rooms as infants - so I think I would have stopped and donated whatever I had.

The buskers at the Gov Center T station in Boston are pretty good. While I don't go out of my way to stay and listen (most of the time I'm on the T, I'm on my way to a hockey game), I do pay attention to them when I'm there. A classical violinist in Gov Center would have totally caused me to need a private moment. I probably would have waited for the next B train just to hear more.

I love street musicians. I sometimes stop, but mostly I at least try to smile. There's a local kid up here that sets up shop during the summer in front of the bookstore or in the park. He has a mic and amp and everything and he sings classic rock. I love it!

The NYC MTA has a program that allows performers to setup shop in the subway system and do their thing - mainly singing and instrument playing. Most of them are actually pretty decent and I've been known to stop for a few moments and listen and throw 'em a buck or two.

As for the violin player, I doubt I would have stopped because that's not really interesting to me. Nor would I have recognized the music. Hopefully someone would have, and enjoyed his performance.

I probably would have stopped, but being a former violin player, I can recognize an above-average player and a valuable instrument. If it had been a different instrument? Maybe not...

This is an old article, but it's a really interesting one. I'm glad you brought it back up again. I play trumpet professionally, and I like to think I would stop. I probably would...wouldn't I??

I may not have recognized the songs, but I would have stopped. Beauty in any for catches my soul, esp music...Given my current finaces, I may not have been able to give money, but would have said "thank you" for the preformance...no matter what the talent. As long as there is passion, I can appreciate it....Life is about seeing the good or God in every day's moments...Its a mantra I live by, not to preach here, but to state, that sweet, sweet music would have stirred my soul.

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