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World-class musicians aren't supposed to be street performers. But that is just what violinist Joshua Bell was in a recent impromptu performance in a subway stop in the American capital city. The reactions of the commuters were ... interesting, as documented by the Washington Post.

For us as working artists, this experiment raised many questions: Why didn't more people in the station slow down and listen? Do we have sensory overload, and no mental space for music like Bell's? Why did every child in the subway want to stop to listen?

Join us as we explore these and more questions in this first podcast of a several part series. We welcome your $.02 in the Comments & Questions section, below.

Running time: 21:52
Subscribe via iTunes
Or Download MP3

Discussion participants:

Keywords: Joshua Bell, Pop Music, Sensory Overload, Industrial Culture, Technology Explosion, Musak, iPod, Creative Paralysis, Discernment, Artist/Audience Agreement, Children's Curiosity, Pied Piper, Frames, Assumptions

Labels: Podcasts

World-class musicians aren't supposed to be street performers. But that is just what violinist Joshua Bell was in a recent impromptu performance in a subway stop in the American capital city. The reactions of the commuters were ... interesting, as documented by the Washington Post.

For us as working artists, this experiment raised many questions: What exactly is this an experiment in? Is the audience response a sign of widespread cultural decline? Is Joshua Bell no better than the average rock band just starting out? What is a "venue", anyway?

Join us as we explore these and more questions in this first podcast of a several part series. We welcome your $.02 in the Comments & Questions section, below.

Running time: 21:52
Subscribe via iTunes
Or Download MP3

Discussion participants:

Keywords: Joshua Bell, James Joyce, Cultural Decline, Western Canon, Genius, Marshall McLuhan, Street Performer, Medium, Message, Frame, Venue, Stradivarius, Busker, Noise, Bureaucrats, Hippy, Beauty, Classical Music Appreciation, Covers, Pop Music, Beginner Rock Bands, Original Compositions, Transforming Audiences, Attention, Dance, Ballet, Bach, Schubert

Labels: Custom and Convention, Podcasts