Do you stop to listen?

michelew
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Status: Offline

Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:20 pm

One of the secrets to a happy life is finding more time to do the things you enjoy and doing them. Right?

I'm sitting on the grass in one of the parks in the Sydney CBD in sun (which I enjoy) eating a current lunch favourite, listening to Jason Mraz's LOVE album (which just gets better with every listen). It's all a good cure to work insanity. To get here I walked through some underground tunnels that connect the city circle railway tunnel to the streets above them. For part of my journey, I heard the truly beautiful sound is a lone flute (made even more sweet by the tunnels). I dropped some coins in the guy's flute case, told him how beautiful it sounded and then walked quickly onto my grassy lunch spot. I didn't stop to enjoy it... - well underground tunnels aren't really conducive to stopping, they're really designed to move people. Still it was beautiful and I'm sure my soul would have benefitted from hearing a little more.

It all reminds me of an experiment held in New York's Grand Central Station (I believe) in which a world class violinist busked for 20 minutes and almost no one stopped to enjoy his playing even though be can fill concert halls at hundreds of dollars a ticket. A child was his most appreciate audience member. I read about this courtesy of something Nessa posted. Perhaps she'll include the article link in this thread.

Bottom line - I love music but rarely take the time to stop and listen to street musicians even though most/many buskers play very nicely. Perhaps my life would be more joyful if I did.

Do you stop to listen?

Poll attached.

M


dennisg
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:34 am
Status: Offline

Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:34 pm

I always listen, always compliment, and always leave money. It's easy to do and makes them feel appreciated.


sbutler
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2010 6:50 pm
Status: Offline

Sun Apr 28, 2013 11:52 pm

You know Michele, taking time to do everything is starting to be my priority. I make myself slow down and really look and listen to the world around me. There is usually something really nice to hear or see If I just do it.

Great post. Its a good reminder of something that I'm trying to work on.

Thanks,
Scott


michelew
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Status: Offline

Mon Apr 29, 2013 2:35 am

Yep, I always stop, listen for a while and almost always give something. But, over here some buskers who show up at terrasses can be really boring, they look boring, they play two songs while not paying attention to the audience, asif they don't care at all. I don't give something then. 'I do want them to do their best for it'. If so, then I'll always enthousiastically show my support and indeed donate a few euros.

Tomorrow it's King's day over here in Holland, it's the first King's day since.....uh....well more than a century :dry: , there will be a free market everywhere ánd a lot of buskers, bands, children, adults etc. I do like that very much about this day and often listen to a whole bunch when I'm in town. I used to do the same as a kid (maybe twice), played on my bariton-uke and just went through a whole repertoire of childrens-songs and yeah.....i did collect a lot of money, haha! :cheer: :laugh: :P

Yeah, that video of the worldfamous violinist was fascinating of course, not sure where I found it.....I'll check..!

:) :)


michelew
Posts: 87
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Status: Offline

Mon Apr 29, 2013 2:52 am

Thanks Nessa brilliant! :) :kiss: it was on your Facebook page quite a while ago from memory.

Have fun tomorrow. And if you see and kids playing ukuleles (any future yous! :) ) clap extra hard for me. :)

Shel


tombo1230
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 8:27 am
Status: Offline

Mon Apr 29, 2013 3:48 am

I was in London recently and suprisingly only saw one busker on the underground, or actually an exit to be exact. He wasn't very good, no one stopped to listen as there was no room to do so and everyone is in a huge hurry in London. In contrast, there are lots of buskers in Glasgow and some performers can have huge crowds of people watching, often there are some very talented people performing, not only buskers but street performers sometimes. I supose location or the 'pitch.' you get is very important and maybe the culture and attitude of the people is a big factor.

Short answer, I love to stop and watch good buskers and it is a big thing in Glasgow and they appreciate it when you give them a coin or two. :)


Tom N.


User avatar
neverfoundthetime
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:14 pm
Status: Offline

Mon Apr 29, 2013 4:47 am

Yes, I nearly always stop and listen and drop a few coins, especially for guitarists. Sometimes I sing along. We get a lot of street performers in Zürich in summer and it really adds colour to the city. I'm not sure if it is officially allowed without a permit (you need permits for everything here) but there are certain areas of the old town which have always attract a number of artists and they arrange amongst themselves who's on next.

I actually went out on the street myself, with a friend, years ago as a test to see if I could actually do it and to have some fun. Played for an hour and made about Fr. 30.00. :-)


boldent
Posts: 0
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2010 2:48 am
Status: Offline

Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:11 am

I don't think it's in me to not stop and listen, and giving a few dollars for their songs is a definite yes. Street players are rare to fine where I live so I normally hear them while on vacation. While in Las Vegas last year they had some fantastic acoustic blues guitar players/singers in the street-overpasses. I would stand and listen and watch them play until my wife would pull me away. Honestly, I felt like it was part the vacation. How other people could just walk on by, I'll never understand.

I also love to here the guys in the Mexican restaurants play and sing as they work the tables. They can really play an acoustic guitar and they are very entertaining to watch.


Great topic michelew


User avatar
auntlynnie
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 5:31 am
Status: Offline

Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:04 am

That's a good question, and definitely something to remember.
I stop and listen, if I start to like what I hear. I do like to hear them in tunnels - I love the echo-y sound.

I have to admit that this is something that I would like to do. Much of what I play is instrumental, and I would like to share that somehow, but I'm still too timid.
I'll set that as a goal, getting up the courage to try it.

As for the guys in Mexican restaurants - I feel somehow invaded when they come to my table - I want the choice of participating. But that's just me.

Lynn


cosmicmechanic
Posts: 0
Joined: Sat Apr 04, 2009 8:39 am
Status: Offline

Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:41 pm

Michele, I don't haunt them ol' tunnels as much as I used to, so I don't come across buskers that often these days.

Reminds me of some buskers I used to listen to a few times a week, when transferring between lines in the subway.

These (four of five) guys were great, played acoustic CCR and folk rock, guitars, bongos, that kind of stuff.
Every frown in the crowd disappeared as the people went to work.

The very last time I saw them was a few years ago. They had put their one and only CD on sale, and I bought it.

When I got home and played the CD, it was some of the most screeching, pot-banging heavy metal !

So they were actually a heavy metal band and the folk rock thing was just to get some rent money in from the easy-listening crowd of commuters :side:

Pierre


Post Reply Previous topicNext topic