Our society needs more culture! Wash Post did a story that I

just read. They took a world class violinist - playing an extraordinary violin - playing some of the world's best music. Put him in the subway and had him play. He got about $27 in his hat. And just about everyone just passed him by.

No one paid any attention. Except the children. (children are so wonderful until we ruin them)

That is just pitiful. I know that not everyone likes classical music or ballet or opera. But it is an important component of culture. And we are truely lacking.

:sarcasm: (in case it wasn't obvious)
Art and music are pretty much the first place schools look to cut budgets but there's always money for the fucking football team. It bothered me when I was in school and it bothers me even more today as a parent. Our society values athletics more than art or intellect. Damned shame.

I know that the arts aren't for everyone. But I would hate to see it lost.

It just seems that everything we do anymore simply plays to the lowest levels in our society. It is not only sports everywhere. But math and science are being dumbed down.

Being made aware of incredible beauty (like wonderful music and art and writing) makes so much of life worthwhile.

I just can't imagine just walking right on by when such a fine violinist is playing. I would stop and listen no matter how big a hurry I was in. But apparently no one stopped to listen.

schlorships for needy and intelligent students.

At the schools I have been at, whenever the kids have a musical performance, the parents and families in the audience are talking, running around, going outside for a smoke- anything but sit and listen to their kids. But hey, they way the kids sing, I can't blame them. When I attempt to teach basic singing skills to my students (yes, I sing and have taken lessons, so I have some skills to pass on) I get comments like "Why do they have to learn this?" So, the kids have no musical ability or understanding of music. The same thing when I try to teach them anything about art. They can drew guns and things blowing up, but learning to sketch their hand or still life is just "boring." So, by the time my kids hit middle school and high school, they've had little to no exposure to art and music and have virtually no interest. It is really sad. I don't think everyone needs to be a virtuoso, but there is merit in at least having some exposure to these things.

Teamwork. Discipline. Leadership. Confidence. The idea that hard work and sacrifice can lead to success. And it does it without violence or browbeating (not that all coaches browbeat their players but a shocking number of them do).

I'm not anti-sports but it's always bothered me that sports have been considered to be so much more important than music.

You could also add literature there with opera, ballet and classical music. Most people in this society wouldn't know Edith Wharton from Edith Bunker. The results from that subway experiment were sad. It's also too bad that tickets to events like the opera, ballet and a classical music concert are priced so high that a member of the average public is unable to afford them. But on the other hand, tickets to football games and other sporting events aren't cheap.

Any busker with the sense of a billy goat KNOWS that you secure your spot in time for the lunch hour crowd. Morning commuters are NOT a viable target audience under ANY circumstances.

The pretentious, elitist conclusions drawn by the author make me wanna :puke: And Evvie being denied the chance to interact with Joshua, who is a dear soul, INFURIATES ME. I'm not angry at his mom, I reserve my wrath for the idjits at WP.

For one thing, your average person isn't familiar with classical music and so would have no idea if it was being played well or not. Plus in my experience most people avoid any situation in which they may end up feeling obligated to cough up money - whether it's a homeless beggar or someone playing music. In cities, especially, it's something you meet up with everywhere and unless you want to be broke within three blocks, you learn to insulate yourself.

So, yeah, stupid method.

anyone who knows even the littlest bit about street hustling knows that timing and placement are everything...

I still have to work a day job, rather than just take my bands on the road.

except that busy commuters are busy whether they're hearing a jackoff insane guy playing an accordian or a brilliant violinist.

What a stupid fucking study.