Notice Anything?
 

i was stumbling around and came across this article. after i read it i had the overwhelming urge to share. it got me thinking.

with the exception of the newly formed hole in my guinness tee, i dont think ive noticed a single thing lately.

thoughts tfp?

I miss stuff all the time, especially if it's centered around other people. Yesterday I did notice a tiny jumping spider. Its probing, side-stepping, and curiosity brought a smile to my face.

So what if it was a world famous musician playing on a 3.5 million dollar violin? They had him playing in a massive, noisy train station with horrible acoustics. The fact that he is one of the most talented musicians in the world is moot because he wasn't playing in an environment where that could be appreciated. Not to mention... classical. I love it. You love it. There's nothing about it that grabs the average person.
I've never been to that train station, but in train stations all over the world I've witnessed a higher degree of attention paid to artists. However, these artists are conveying an artform that can be appreciated in that sort of environment. Like break dancers. Or comedic magicians. Or drummers using garbage bins.

let me just quote the article

"The questions raised: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?"

I've seen a You-Tube video of this about a year or two ago.
I refrain from talking about music in general forums. It aggravates me.
I only do it in two music boards.

"One only sees what one looks for; one only looks for what one knows."

Goethe

Some of the best performers I've ever seen have been buskers. I usually tip musicians, if I can.

MTA NYC disagrees with you as they have a program just for bringing quality music above the buskers and breakdancers.

MTA - Arts for Transit | MUNY Bios and Samples

take a listen to those with streaming samples, I don't hear any garbage bin drummers or break dancers.

I've heard, jazz, opera, r&b, sitar, chinese instruments I cannot name, latin american pipe music to name a few... there's plenty of diversity. You just have to pay attention.

Here's the video you refer to:

Context is everything. There was a similar study by Brian Wansink (author of Mindless Eating) where they served the same food to two groups of people. One was a plain location, with the food served plain, and simple descriptions. The second was much nicer looking, with fancy presentation (but identical food), and florid descriptions. The ratings of the two meals were amazingly different.

The recognition factor plays into it as well.

Had it been Itzhak Perlman sitting there playing the violin, playing any song, even Three Blind Mice, he would have attracted a crowd.

To be honest, and this is coming from a person who is painfully bland when it comes to music, I cannot appreciate it unless my mood dictates I do. There is a time and place for everything. Even Britney Spears' performance might get so much as a glance from me but if I am outside, it means I am rushing to go inside, hence busy and so I will not notice.

Another thing, why are you condemning the parents who made their kids walk away? Beauty is subjective. It's a matter of perspective, him playing a very hard piece is a moot point. An S-Class Mercedes Benz or the new LCD from Samsung, on the other hand, I'd drop a dollar for!

i found the article, dude. i'm not the writer. (read the first sentence of the thread.) I'm not condemning anyone.

guess i should have included a link.


just a thought....the kids wanted to watch, they were obviously intrigued by the music. maybe they thought it was beautiful.

xerx, i didnt start this thread to talk about watching music and being an awe of difficult musical pieces. i started this thread to see if anyone takes the time to look around at the natural beauty of things during their busy lives, and the shit we're missing because we have our heads stuck up our hard-working, fast paced asses.

Wait... I missed something. What happen?

It is all about expectations. Expectations help us enjoy things that are intended to be enjoyed. This is why you dress up nicely and go to a fancy theater to see the orchestra play. It helps you enjoy the experience more. The fact that the guy is playing in public with no special pretense does nothing to further the prestige he's earned while playing in a completely different environment.

Edit: I should note that I read about this first in a book about behavioral economics, so I am not pulling that explanation out of my ass.

Yes, except that expectations often blind us to reality (and I mean outside of going to the theatre, re: Halx's response). People can easily become chained to their expectations and forget to look at the world without their self-imposed filters.

I think that is the point of the article: it's learning to look for what you are not seeing or looking beyond your expectations (self-interests, self-motivations, self-interpretations, self-imposed filters) that is the key. Finding pleasure and meaning in the unexpected and in serendipity.

I always stop and listen to street musicians. There is something exciting in how bare the experience is and how they expose themselves to the world. I love it.

To answer the question, I do try to pick up on small details around me as I walk by, or work in the area. I often miss the really pertinent details, but I also tend to see things others miss. But I agree with the point you're trying to make here: people do not notice beauty in everyday situations. For example, I may run my hand along a textured wall (ie aluminum siding or whatever) and pay super close attention to the feel of it against my hand and the rhythmic sound it makes without ever noticing that the damn thing's dirty. I agree with Grancey, it's really fun to stop and listen to street musicians, but I get bored if they obviously have no talent. I really get a kick out of seeing what instruments their using though, especially if someone's playing a solid band instrument like brass or woodwinds saxes in particular.

I always like to listen to musicians on the street. There's one guy downtown that I see almost every time I walk down that particular street, and hes got 2 long sticks (maybe they're real batons, I've never gotten close enough to check) and hes always twirling, and jumping and doing tricks. Always.

Part of the equation is context. If I am racing to work or to catch a train, I am not likely to care who is playing or what piece of beauty is in the vicinity.

If I am taking a leisurely stroll, I am more inclined to be receptive to these sorts of things.

That said, I tend to be observant but I would agree with the Goethe quote above, I would be more likely to be drawn to something familiar. I am not a fan of classical music so I wouldn't know from greatness.

When I was in University there was a man who played violin in Union Station. He was brilliant and happy, and always grateful when I stopped to listen. I didn't always get the chance - some days I was running late or just on time - but when I did, I always took a couple moments to pause.

There are other musicians in there now, and I don't always stop. Sometimes I'm not particularly interested, and other times I'm just too busy. I appreciate the fact that the music is there at all, and the transient and clipped nature of running by the sound can be a part of the beauty.