Comments on: Busker or Virtuoso? Depends on the Situation

By: The Situation of “Natural Talent” « The Situationist

The Situation of “Natural Talent” « The Situationist — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 04:06:11 +0000

[...] “Busker or Virtuoso? Depends on the Situation,” [...]

By: Virtuoso in the subway. Or how we perceive the indigent? «

Virtuoso in the subway. Or how we perceive the indigent? « — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:18:50 +0000

[...] 1, 2010 in Arts, The poor | by aablaev A few years ago The Situationist blog covered the story about an experiment where Joshua Bell’s posed as a subway musician to see if anyone would [...]

By: Virtuoso in the subway. Or how we perceive the indigent? « DoubleA Blog

Virtuoso in the subway. Or how we perceive the indigent? « DoubleA Blog — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:05:57 +0000

[...] 28, 2010 A few years ago The Situationist blog covered the story about an experiment where Joshua Bell’s posed as a subway musician to see if anyone would [...]

By: Sample of Situationist Posts «

Sample of Situationist Posts « — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:23:59 +0000

[...] Busker or Virtuoso? Depends on the Situation (by Jon Hanson & Michael McCann) [...]

By: Journalists as Social Psychologists « The Situationist

Journalists as Social Psychologists « The Situationist — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:05:06 +0000

[...] When Weingarten’s account of the experiment ran in the Post’s magazine three months later, readers followed the narrative with rapt attention that contrasted starkly with the indifference of the commuters. The article was discussed on blogs and other forums devoted to classical music, pop culture, politics, and social science [For a previous Situtionist post on this experiment, click here.] [...]

By: Situationist Staff Favorites for 2007 « The Situationist

Situationist Staff Favorites for 2007 « The Situationist — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:05:37 +0000

[...] Busker or Virtuoso? Depends on the Situation [...]

By: Arcade Fire, David Byrne, Nassim Taleb, Joshua Bell, Intervention

Arcade Fire, David Byrne, Nassim Taleb, Joshua Bell, Intervention — Thu, 31 May 2007 21:47:29 +0000

[...] be able to tell the difference. Pearls before swine. See the Situationist’s take on this here and their earlier item on the situational in musical appreciation. Powered by Gregarious (42) Share [...]

By: M (Tread Softly Upon)

M (Tread Softly Upon) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:10:33 +0000

Did a post on this yesterday after reading the article in the Post. And then came upon your post this morning and smiled a little after seeing that we sort of quoted the same sections from the article. Looks like some parts struck a chord in everyone.
As for the situational thing goes I’m not sure if it were entirely true. I mean yes about the painting it may happen to me since I don’t really understand a great deal about true art and masterpieces. But then I don’t understand classical music that much either. Yet the first time I heard Josh Bell I was awestruck. You don’t really have to understand classical music or be familiar with the pieces to know that this is sheer genius. It doesn’t matter if it is Josh bell in person or not. Good music needs to be appreciated. And there is no excuse for not stopping or listening because you have something more pressing at that moment.

@ rahul This experiment says more about Washington DC than about human psychology.
and you’re saying people in DC have less time to appreciate the finer aspects of life and Bell would have had a crowd someplace else?

By: Pooh’s Think » Blog Archive » The Situationist: What it is like to hear Joshua Bell in S at t

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:01:55 +0000

[...] the hood’ to incorporate this special feature of consciousness. In the Situationist’s post “Busker or Virtuoso? Depends on the Situation”, Hanson and McCann write: [P]erhaps because Bell’s parents are both psychologists, he agreed to [...]

By: Rahul

Rahul — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:25:11 +0000

Here’s what I posted on another blog:

I disagree with the analogy with taking “one of our more abstract masterpieces, say an Ellsworth Kelly”, and removing the frame. The fact is that people appreciate the classics — Bach, Rembrandt — and they don’t appreciate modern art (what is that Kelly thing supposed to mean?) or music (Schoenberg sounds like noise to most people).

I’m pretty sure that commuters in Europe, and indeed in New York, would stop to listen to an expert performance of Bach’s Chaconne. I have seen appreciative crowds in Paris gather for much less inspired metro-station music. They would also stop to admire a Rembrandt or Monet (though they may assume it’s a well-executed copy). This experiment says more about Washington DC than about human psychology.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if, in some European cities, they also gathered to hear an expertly-played Schoenberg.. but the Kelly is a different matter. The picture linked above looks like a practical joke, which it probably was, like much modern art.

Gary – the link to the NYC subway musician’s blog seems broken.