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Tag Archives: Gene Weingarten

Joshua Bell ~ Incognito Busker to Subway Station Superstar

13 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Classical, Inspiration, Music

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

busker, busking, Classical Music, Education Through Music, Elizabeth Fais, ETM, Gene Weingarten, HBO, Joshua Bell, PBS NewsHour, Union Station, Washington DC, Washington Post, Young Arts Master Class

Even if you’re not into classical music, you’ve probably heard of Joshua Bell. Meg Cabot mentions him in her Princess Diaries series and Vanished series. Or maybe you heard about that guy—the famous musician who played in a train station and no one noticed him. That Guy, was Joshua Bell.

The Urban Legend That Isn’t a Legend

In 2007, Joshua Bell posed as a common busker in a Washington D.C. metro station bell.joshua2012(during morning rush hour) as part of an experiment initiated by Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post. Only seven people, out of thousands, stopped to listen to him. Only one person recognized him. ONE. You can read the full story here.

Since then, Joshua Bell became known as “that guy” who played in a train station. Some people actually told him the story about that guy, not realizing he was that guy. He commented on Twitter that he felt he was in danger of being best known (in his career) as that-guy-who-played-in-the-train-station, and his tombstone would read: “Here he is, underground again.”

The Encore that Packed the Train Station

Union Station Washington DCA cavernous train station is not the usual venue for a classical music superstar. Joshua Bell has played in all the major concert halls around the world. So why would he want to go back to a train station where he was blatantly ignored in 2007?

You can let a situation define you, or you change the situation to reinvent the definition.

That’s just what Joshua Bell did. On September 30, 2014, Joshua Bell turned the tables on DC’s Union Station and created a the ultimate public experience for classical music. This time, his performance at DC’s Union Station was highly publicized and people came out in droves. People who knew the story, but may not have known anything about classical music, packed the gigantic space, pressed shoulder to shoulder, 1500 strong. [image: morguefile.com]

Joshua Bell Encore Concert at Union Station Washington DC Sept 30, 2014

Joshua Bell played the same music he did as an incognito busker (2007), except this time he held a capacity crowd spellbound. You can listen to the entire concert on YouTube Here.

The sheer size of the crowd that greeted him, and the warmth of their reception, made this encore a fitting compliment to his first train station experience. More important, he and the young artists who accompanied him brought beautiful music to the masses. I can’t think of a better ending to the story.

Honesty Hour: I feel compelled to write about Joshua Bell’s encore performance, because I’ve referenced his 2007 busking stint in two other blog posts. I never referred to him as That Guy. Not once. Honest.

PBS NewsHour Interview with Joshua Bell

The following PBS NewsHour video shows footage from Joshua Bell’s first busking experience and clips from his recent encore performance. In the personal interview that follows, Joshua Bell talks about the fate of classical music and the importance of keeping music in schools.

 

Encouraging and Instructing Young Artists

Joshua Bell puts action behind his words, contributing time and energy to the Education Through Music (ETM) program, among other philanthropic endeavors.

Most recently, he taught a Young Arts Master Class—some of his students accompanied him in his Union Station encore performance—which was the basis for a HBO documentary. See the following trailer for details.



11 Year-Old Busking Violinist ~ Fifth Avenue’s Newest Star

14 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Inspiration, Music, New York City

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Bach Double Violin Concerto, busking, Dylan Hamme, Fifth Avenue, Gene Weingarten, J.S. Bach, Joshua Bell, NBC News, New York City, Stop and Hear the Music, Today Show, Violin, Washington DC, Washington Post

Pint-Size Prodigy Surprised by His Idol on National TV

There’s a new star on New York’s Fifth—Dylan Hamme, an 11 year-old busking violinist. But Dylan isn’t just any ol’ busker. No. He’s a child prodigy on the fast-track to becoming a concert violinist. He’s busking to raise money for conservatory training.

But wait. It gets  better.

Dylan has a sign propped up in his open violin case for passerby donations that states he’s following in the footsteps of his idol, Joshua Bell.

So far it’s true…

11 year-old Dylan Hamme playing his violin on 5th Ave NYC

Joshua Bell started playing the violin at the age of three, the same age Dylan picked up the instrument. Joshua Bell went on to become a world-renowned violin soloist. So far, Dylan is heading in that direction as well. His expert musicianship (along with his sign), caught the attention of NBC News, and they featured him on the Today Show, complete with a surprise visit from his idol. If you don’t cry watching the video clip below, I don’t want to hear about it.

Going out of his way to encourage a young musician is not uncommon for Joshua Bell. He regularly supports projects that teach and encourage young musicians around the world. His philanthropic work with the National YoungArts Foundation over the years has been recognized nationally with high acclaim.


 

Joshua Bell’s Busking Experiment & Sensational Reprise

Joshua Bell is at home in a concert hall, but he’s no stranger to playing on the street. Or a metro station to be exact. In 2007, Joshua Bell posed as a common busker in a Washington D.C. metro station (during morning rush hour) as part of an experiment initiated by Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post. The purpose of the experiment was to see how many commuters would stop and listen to one of the nation’s greatest violinist in an everyday setting. Only one person recognized him. ONE. You can read the full story here.

You can let a situation define you, or you change the situation to reinvent the definition.

That’s just what Joshua Bell did. On September 30, 2014, Joshua Bell turned the tables on DC’s Union Station and created a the ultimate public experience for classical music.

Joshua Bell Encore Concert at Union Station Washington DC Sept 30, 2014

Joshua Bell played the same music he did as an incognito busker (2007), except this time he held a capacity crowd spellbound. You can read about the performance here, and listen to the entire concert on YouTube Here.


Classical To-Go: Extraordinary Music Breaks Out of the Concert Hall

20 Monday May 2013

Posted by Elizabeth Fais in Classical, Inspiration, Music

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Beethoven, Blitz Concerts, Bus Station Sonata, Classical Close-Up Concerts, Classical Music, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Elizabeth Fais, Gene Weingarten, Joshua Bell, Peer Gynt, Stop and Hear the Music, The Oregon Symphony, Washington DC, Washington Post

Classical to-go violinI am intrigued by the incongruous and unexpected. I love being surprised by beauty in the simplest moments. It can happen at any time. Extraordinary talent can be anywhere. Literally. At the bus station, the metro, or perhaps a local bookstore or cafe.

Symphonies around the world are looking for new ways to woo younger audiences into the concert halls, as their traditional audiences age and ticket sales dwindle. If young people won’t come to the symphony, the obvious thing to do is bring the symphony to them. [images from morguefile.com, composite by moi]

The Oregon Symphony: Playing Outside the Box

The Oregon Symphony did just that … took their the music to the streets with their  Classical Close-Up and Blitz Concerts. All intended to make the world of classical music accessible to all, in  fun and informal settings such as Powell’s Books, outdoor plazas, churches and cafes. They hope to bring new friends and families to the symphony, while sharing their passion for music.

Flash Mob Philharmonic: Copenhagen Metro

The Copenhagen Philharmonic went one step further… They took their music right onto the train flash-mob style, playing Peer Gynt to a car full of amazed and delighted commuters.


Bus Station Beethoven

At the Haymarket Bus Station in Newcastle, England, a pianist took the interactive approach. He engaged willing commuters to help him play what he calls Beethoven’s “Bus Station Sonata”. A refreshingly fun endeavor.


Metro Maestro: Joshua Bell Incognito in a D.C. Metro

A conversation about extraordinary music in everyday places wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Joshua Bell’s 2007 performance in a Washington D.C. metro station at rush hour. Many of you may have already heard about the experiment initiated by Gene Weingarten for The Washington Post. The purpose was to see how many harried commuters would take the time to listen to Joshua Bell, one of the nation’s greatest violinist, if he appeared incognito as a typical busker. You can read the full story here. It’s amazing. The premise of the experiment was…

 In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?

Sadly, in this case it didn’t. People rushed by, some kind enough to toss a few coins or a dollar bill into his open violin case. But the majority of the crowd didn’t even acknowledge his existence. He made a total of $32.00 in the 45 minutes he played on that Friday morning. That’s not counting the $20.00 given to him by the ONE person recognized him. Though, what was truly mind-boggling was over one thousand people couldn’t spare a few minutes to  listen to some of the most exquisite music in the world played on one of the most priceless instruments. Beauty brought right to them … on their way to work … only three feet away.

In October 2014, Joshua Bell played an encore at Washington DC’s Union station. This time thousands packed the venue for the phenomenal free concert. You can read more about it here.

Extraordinary talent can be found in the most ordinary places. But the performers don’t have to be world-famous to be worth our time. Appreciate the beauty they bring into the world. Stop and listen. Enjoy the music.


Have you ever had an encounter with unexpected beauty,
musical or otherwise?


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