Early in November, S and I went to the Atlanta Symphony to see and hear Joshua Bell perform the Barber violin concerto. We enjoyed it immensely. It wasn't the first time we'd seen him, and it's always been money well spent. We also have a number of his CDs. Again, money well spent.
A couple of years ago, Bell gave a performance in a different venue. The performance was actually part of a social experiment being done for an article in the Washington Post Magazine. One day during rush hour, Bell walked into a Washington DC Metro stop, took out his violin and began to play.
Having lived in Boston for so many years, I've enjoyed a lot of good street performers and heard a lot of good music in the subway stations, especially around Harvard Square. But it's hard to get an audience to just stay there and listen. How many people do you suppose stopped for Joshua Bell? It makes me wonder who I've passed by and what great performances I've missed. Maybe I'll try to stop and listen to the music a little more often.
The video is by John W. Poole.
Oh, just imagining it!
ReplyDeleteWow. That would be even more exciting than seeing YoYo Ma carry his cello into first class on a flight.
ReplyDeleteHey, how are you doing?
ReplyDeleteI know Grandpa. We all get so caught up in our stuff that we forget about "the good stuff".
ReplyDeleteJoshua Bell is phenomenal. He gets bonus points for being on "Arthur" ( a PBS cartoon my daughter likes).
Peace -Rene
Joshua Bell is a favorite of mine. I have several of his albums. He, in my mind, is a genius, who can truly make the violin come to life. He also is a alum of Indiana University School of Music, where my daughter did her undergrad work.
ReplyDeleteI am so envious you got to hear him so live and up close. I've seen him live on TV...does that count?
I met Joshua Bell when he was about 16 and studying at Indiana University. I am a string player myself (So are my boys, chips off the old block except I'm not old). I also had the amazing opportunity to play with him when he was in high school when he came to my school in Elkhart Indiana. I can't remember what he played but I have always kept an eye on him. There was another student that studied with the same professor at IU who was from Eastern Europe- his name was Corey Cerovsek and his sister played piano. They were amazing but I don't think they have had the same success at Bell. Thank you for the memory jog.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I just read this whole thing on Sylvia K's blog...and it moved me very much...
ReplyDeleteI love Joshua Bell. Thanks for posting this, Grandpa. Seattle has many street musicians, and I try to stop and listen whenever I can (and offer a buck or two from time to time).
ReplyDeletewow- 5 people total all together in that video.
ReplyDeleteI think the world is too caught up with themselves-
and frankly- most street performers are beggers too- they ruin it for the "gooduns" out there.
secret word of the day- most appropriate: basteni
I mean about Joshua Bell and his experiment...it was fascinating and touching...
ReplyDeleteWe often go walking downtown in the evenings with our kids. Whenever we see street performers, we stop for a couple of minutes at least, and always let the kids chip in a dollar or two. If the performers are musicians and they are playing something "danceable," the kids will dance for a song or two before we move on.
ReplyDeleteI love what the street performers add to our lives -- a little random cheer and beauty in a world that otherwise often seems harsh and cold.
Yes! As someone who has played (flute) in public places, i found mr. Bell's comments about same wonderful and validating. children want to stop and listen. Some adults respond, but many walk past music that others (in other venues) praise. Wonderful post, Grandpa!! Aloha-
ReplyDeleteYes, I saw a little TV special about that. It's hard to identify genius unless someone else does it for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for visiting my site, Grandpa....especially since it led me to yours. I've always wondered about that Joshua Bell experiment. I have a couple of his CDs. He is just wonderful. Thank you for sharing that clip with us. I'm glad one person at the end stopped and listened.
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