Hating on the Classical Musician Busker article

[grysar]

So, two bloggers I like, Kevin Drum and Ezra Klein, both knocked it. As did an article in Salon. The comment sections actually made for fairly interesting reading.

I do agree that Gene Weingarten did sometimes wax a bit overly philosophical. I think people are objecting in good part because it was classical music which in my view misses the point. That said, the experiment would have been a bit more pure if a form of artistry less associated with elitism was used. I dunno, get a terrific folk singer or something.

[Addendum: chat with Wingarten on the article..]

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

There is a great response to the Joshua Bell article by a NYC subway musician in her blog: www.SawLady.com/blog
She interprets the situation differently from the Washington Post reporters... I thought you might find it interesting.

[grysar.livejournal.com]

I think the point the blog makes is quite accurate. I think the artistry of busking falls under the general category of showmanship that I mentioned in the comments of the previous post. While the earning potential resulting from talent might top out at around three times the normal wage, I think showmanship probably as a more direct effect on both crowd gathering and earnings.

However, I think the experiment was also trying to intentionally exclude showmanship. They didn't ask him to do really well known stuff or the like. Admittedly, as this blog item points out, showmanship is broader than that. I think it would have been a stronger article if they'd interviewed some buskers and made that more explicit.

Although for the record, not everyone who busks in D.C. is a great musician. One of the Farragut North guys seems to have a repertoire of two songs or so. I don't know how the process works here but it's rather different than NYC. I'd support a more NYC like process because I'd like more musicians around.

However, I do still think the outcome is a bit sad. In terms of monetary value it's quite reasonable, he could make a good living at $32 for 45 minutes. Admittedly, it isn't rush hour all day, but D.C.'s still gives a pretty wide window of opportunity. But I do think there's something to be said for appreciating good art (and not just good high culture) even when it doesn't make concessions to you.

Admittedly, to really understand what was happening we'd need a bit more information. How many of the commuters had flex-time and could use it? Was it the commuter's personal drive that mattered or was it the expectation of their employers? Etc.