Sunday, April 8, 2007

Joshua Bell, D.C. street performer


An absolutely amazing experiment. Watch the videos, too.

If Misha Dichter was playing a piano, would they have stopped to listen?

In my first collegiate year, I had the opportunity to see Bell in concert. This was in early 1990, when he was building the acclaim that he now richly deserves. He gave a performance in front of about 200 people in a small concert hall on the Wright State University campus. I believe I paid about $10 to see him. Listening to - and watching - Bell was extraordinary. He plays much bigger venues now, and for a lot more money.

And, yes, I've also seen Dichter in concert - the same year that I saw Bell. Bell's performance moved me more.
(H/T: ALOTT5MA)

Update: Thanks to my anonymous commentor, I was able to read an actual street performer's thoughts on this experiment. Why did Bell fail to attract an audience? He's not a good busker.

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