02 May, 2007

On Beauty and Excellence and Praiseworthy Things

I thought that this was fascinating, sad, and not all that surprising.

4 comments:

Tomye said...

I read this article last week! Amazing huh? How you could walk past him while he's playing that beautiful music...I would gladly be late to work to hear someone play like that. I like the one guy, I forget what they called him, cultural savior or something like that...it makes me happy that there are people in the world like him.

Anonymous said...

I think I am in love...with Josh Bell and the writer. Incredible. Move home so we can stalk people like them. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

It seems like there is a parallel there. God has set His creation all around us to show us His glory and yet so many don't see what He has plainly given which leads to such a sweet knowledge of Himself. Just a thought!

Anonymous said...

I don't think its that simple. First of all the acoustics are surely terrible in the subway. Many people are on the way to work and have many things on their minds. Perhaps they need to get there on time so they don't get fired so they can pay for their symphony tickets. People go to the symphony to sit, relax and enjoy the music. The ambience is not at all conducive in the subway station. And then there's the issue of how good is he really? Can only music played by the "best" violinist in the world be enjoyable? Perhaps more people would stop, stunned, if it was a string quartet playing wonderful harmonies. Someone playing a difficult melody on the violin is not, therefore, making the most beautiful music in the world. Plus, he's a mercenary violinist trying to make a point. Perhaps he's not really putting the feeling into the music that he would be if he had just broken up with his girlfriend or if he was reaching an awareness of the frightful depths of his sinfulness, his solitude, or his existential angst. Maybe the saxophone player in Don Miller's book deserves to have people stop and listen...And I'm just getting warmed up.

 

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