![]() I don't think this is a weird thing, given that there are classical music appreciation classes and programs. This is why I get more out of weird squeaky experimental jazz-about which I know a lot, and which I've heard a lot of-than I do out of, say, 18th century chamber music, even though both are complex. I mean, everyone can benefit from a better musical education but it's part of what makes music one of if not the most important human inventions.Īnother question is how do we appreciate complicated music? What mental state is needed to hear it or to recognize it?įor me, musical context is an important part of hearing complex music-the more I know about what the music is doing, the more I know about what the genre is trying to achieve, the more I know about the role of the individual performer, then the more I can hear and enjoy. At this point, the actual song is irrelevant, it's the feelings, emotions and events attached to the music that's important.Īnd none of this is bad, per se. Listening to that Zeppelin song is a way for them to get high. I've seen this evident in some of my friends who are former addicts and will listen to the same music over and over and over. I find that when people then hear one of these songs later in life, it triggers a nostalgic moment of sorts, a moment where they can vicariously return to a pleasant time via the song. those who do not have a functional understanding of the musical creation process and music theory), music is much more environmental, contextual: "I like this song because it was playing during my first kiss" or "Man, my friends and I used to party hard to this album". There are different levels to listening to music. I've learned it's safer and easier to just enjoy the sound for however long it takes me to walk past it and out of earshot. ![]() I don't get to stop and listen to them much, sadly, becauseĪ.) I'm usually going to work or meeting with someone if I'm on the metro, and don't have the time to stop.ī.) Stations like L'Enfant are extremely busy and overcrowded for most of the day, and stopping for any reason makes you a foot-traffic hazard.Ĭ.) Young women stopping to stand around in the metro seems to invite all sorts of unwanted attention and street harassment, both from people walking by and even from the musicians themselves. There are actually a number of very talented musicians who play in various parts of the DC metro system. If there's even more than one per day in a station, that's unusual. Because of perceived fire hazards in those narrow corridors, they need to get permission to set up (and some have elaborate set-ups), and then there's never more than one per station at a time. ![]() You can follow her on Twitter and and Ollie:ĭC buskers aren't as prevalent as, say, NYC buskers. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture a textbook about gender and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. Everyone can listen, thus hearing offers no distinction at all. ![]() The context of the Metro fails to authenticate Bell’s music. They have seen Bell in concert (“oh and it was glorious!”) have you?īut in the Metro, Bell is no one. And listening to who it is that is worth listening to provides them with expensive, and therefore scarce, cultural cred. They rely on the arbiters to determine who is worth listening to. Concert-goers do not necessarily know whether or why Bell is any good. In a concert hall full of seats paid for with large bills, Bell’s talent is authenticated by the arbiters of taste who are the gatekeepers of the venue. How do we know that we are listening to a master musician? One important clue is where they are playing, and how expensive it is to have the opportunity to listen. What makes Joshua Bell worth listening to? The experiment points to the importance of context. summarizes:īell recalls that an awkward moment ensued every time he was done with a song because no one applauded or even acknowledged his existence because to these passengers he was just another street performer begging him for a dollar. Over 1,000 people walk by without turning their heads, 27 give money, and 7 people stop to listen for a minute or more ( source). In the 2-and-a-half-minute video below, sent in by Lisa G., a decorated concert violinist named Joshua Bell plays in a Metro station at L’Enfant Plaza in Washington D.C.
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