I understand the premise, due to our hurried lives many of us like those in the story would have missed out on a world class violinist performing great classical music. It would have been interesting following along with the other posters to run the observation for 5 weeks same day, same time with different performers from different genres and see if taste does make any difference. At least it would validate or eliminate a variable.

Culture isn't about proving anything. And I hope our culture hasn't devolved to the point where music (real music) as a fine art is appreciated less than the flavor of the day.

 

If our culture has devolved to the point you mention, isn't it possible that extreme budgetary cutbacks at schools might have something to do with that? For most kids, their only exposure to classical music is in school, and then after that, perhaps in a movie, or in my case, a Bugs Bunny cartoon. If they aren't getting it in school, it's just background noise in the movie, as they have been provided no context.

(real music) .

 

Define that.

If our culture has devolved to the point you mention, isn't it possible that extreme budgetary cutbacks at schools might have something to do with that? For most kids, their only exposure to classical music is in school, and then after that, perhaps in a movie, or in my case, a Bugs Bunny cartoon. If they aren't getting it in school, it's just background noise in the movie, as they have been provided no context.

 

 

Agreed. Funding music and art is key to a strong education.

 

I thoroughly enjoy classical music. Have quite a few CDs of it.

 

I just don't dig solo violin.

Ice Cube Steady Mobbin' or The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. It's all good.

 

I'm trying to picture Spin rockin' a black Sox hat.

Here you go, Clizzy. No shave November.

 

Funding music and art is key to a strong education.

 

Interesting thing to point out...there are historians out there who have noted that there the fall of many great civilizations and empires has shortly followed their choice to divert any focus away from art and music and more solely draw focus on things like military and civil development. I had a professor in college that spent a decent amount of time teaching about that. See Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Ottomans, Prussia, and Russia.

One of my favorite quotes of all time (and I've edited it very subtly), from Dennis Miller:

 

I think that 95 percent of what passes for art in this world is complete and utter crap. And 4 of the other 5 percent is crap with an asterisk. But oh, that 1 percent makes you proud to be a human, doesn't it?

When I am in Bucharest there is a girl, I guess she is about 20 or 21 now (Seen her last month when I was there too), that plays the violin beautifully! She is always at Piata Universitatii which is right where I have my apartment, when it's nice out she is next to the university building and when it's bad weather she is in the walk through to the metro beneath the piata. I am no where near an expert on classical music or sounds that come out of a violin, but I can tell it's at least very good, you don't need an ear for classical music to tell. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up playing for a symphony, or if she plays for one right now. I try and stop at times for a few minutes to listen. I also enjoy the people who play the pan flute over there, I love the sound, and I have a hand carved one on order and when I go back in about a month I'll pick it up. Someone else that works over there knows the person who is the best in the world at playing the pan flute, who is from Bucharest, and he said I could meet him and have him teach me some basics (I'll need it).

 

Two of the things I regret is that I never learned to play is the piano and acoustic guitar, and my kids will learn the basics even before 1st grade, they will learn a second language very early too, they can do what they want with it later.

 

The study as I mentioned is summed up in the last 7 words of the article: "how many other things are we missing?” It's the same as the saying "Stop and smell the flowers (many misquote this and say roses), the full saying is: "You're only here for a short visit. Don't hurry, Don't worry, And be sure to smell the flowers along the way." - golfer Walter Hagen.

To be fair; most people in and around a Metro station are hurried by definition.