The Joshua Bell Experiment: What Does it Reveal?

I do not have a musical bone in my body, but I do love and appreciate anyone who can demonstrate such an ability to comprehend, interpret, and perform any type of music. Joshua Bell is just one of those amazing examples of such great talent. Therefore, I must disagree with Bell's definition of his own abilities as being interpretative rather than genius after listening to his performance on the 12^th of January at L'Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C. I am always in amazement and awe to a person of musical ability even though I am not a fan of the violin. Honestly, I am not a huge fan of classical music either. I would much rather listen to something with words in which I can relate. I prefer hearing vocalists than instrumentalists. However, I do still appreciate and respect the entire world of music, for it is another form of art. Even during the times when the Bible was written, there was song. For example, Psalms are songs. Now, if I would have been at L'Enfant Plaza that day and heard Joshua Bell, I more than likely would have taken Joshua Bell to have been homeless. Truth to be told, I thought his version of Chaconne sounded depressing and that of a person drowning their sorrows while attempting to make a quick buck. At least I say this having researched and compared his choice of compositions to those performed by other artists.

First, I compared it to Busoni's performance of Bach's, Chaconne. Of course, I am more a fan of the piano, such as the one Busoni played, as shown on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP-FCztap74. I believe Busoni made the composition sound cheerful in comparison to the "Strad" strings strummed by Joshua Bell. Next, I researched and listened to two different videos of Ave Maria on YouTube and compared it to Bell's performance, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQVz6vuNq7s and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgvJg7D6Qck . One of them was Bobby McFerrin's stand-up comic relief act, which I found to be most enjoyable personally, even though he was making jokes at the expense of classical music. I actually stopped and listened to the talent that McFerrin had in his vocal chords and found it more pleasant than what I did when listening to Bell's performance which won him a Pulitzer Prize. Personally, I find the violin to be like fingernails scraped along the chalkboard when played solo, but within an orchestra can be absolutely part of the most beautiful composition.

I probably would have not have given Joshua Bell any money unless I had some extra pocket change weighing my purse or pants down that day, but I would have stopped and listened for as long as I could have before having to continue about my own business. I have always been one to stop and listen to all music, especially when it is performed live. I believe that Bell's weird moments that he speaks of with Weingarten of The Washington Post (2007) stating "when the composition would stop playing," were almost egotistical. Yes, he might be one of the finest violinists in the nation, but he probably doesn't have much of a clue as to what the real world is like outside of sold out concerts complete with all the riches and fame that life has to offer. If I were to see someone on the streets or playing solo as he was, I would have stood in a mesmerized state of mind, perplexed, as if to clap would be an insult to such a talented musician. However, there wasn't the crowd which he anticipated or expected, and the result of the experiment showed that there hardly was anyone stopping to admire his musical talents. Yes, I would have taken the challenge as Joshua Bell did with The Washington Post that day, but I believe my expectations would be far less than those of Joshua Bell. For, I have never experienced the lifestyle in which he is accustomed. He openly admits that he is angered if someone coughs at his performances, yet he is angered that people didn't applaud at his performance during rush hour. This almost seems egotistical as if he thought he deserved better. And the saddest part, he did deserve better. He deserved the respect of the passersby and the admiration in which very few gave him. Yes, I would have been insecure, intimidated, and even angry. I would have been utterly appalled if I had just an inch of his talents with any musical instrument! Yes, I would have been irate actually, but I also know more realistically what the odds are of someone being completely floored at your talents and abilities when they are so closed minded and always having to rush through life. I am almost certain that I would have stopped playing within the first five minutes and walked away from the entire experiment. I probably would have even thrown my "Strad" out on the streets. This being said, I cannot say that I was surprised, even though I had hoped the outcome to have been different. I would have liked to have seen this same experiment in a place that was not filled with people in a rush for work, preferably on a weekend or maybe in a state with less professionals and less of the snotty-nosed people who are always so serious and in a hurry. I believe the outcome might have been slightly better for Joshua Bell's ego. I say slightly better because in metro areas like Washington, D.C., New York, and California, I believe are the type people who are more apt to stereotype or judge on their first impression instead of giving a person their chance to earn their title. I believe the common consensus about people playing musical instruments or performing another form of artistic talent on the streets is that they will never amount to anything and will never go far in life. You never hear of someone off of the streets coming from Julliard and playing at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Joshua Bell was a student of Josef Gingold, also a violinist, and made his first debut at the age of 14 with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra which has been quoted as being "remarkable" by an unpronounced editor at Public Broadcasting Service or PBS (2009). Joshua Bell is included on the list along with Harry Connick, Jr. to play at the Hollywood Bowl in July. I was fortunate to see Harry Connick, Jr. live in Hot Springs, Arkansas in 2001 which had changed my life forever as to the type of music I swore I would never enjoy or much less listen to. Harry Connick, Jr. might have just been my eye-opener to a much broader world of respect and appreciation in the area of music and the arts. Bell also worked with composer Tod Machover at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology beginning in 2002, in order "to develop a series of high-tech instruments and musical toys designed to stimulate children's interest in music performance and composition," says Probst of Theatre Mania (2002). As Weingarten of The Washington Post makes a comment regarding Bell as being an attractive bachelor, Bell was also in People Magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People." Even though, that is where he "complains about having "little-boy hair" that's too fine to shape," says the article from People Magazine (2000). Also, Joshua Bell has acting experience, as he played a body double in the movie, "The Red Violin" as a naked Greta Scacchi mentions Weingarten of The Washington Post (2007).

References

Busoni. (2009). Chaconne. YouTube. Retrieved January 26, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP-FCztap74

McFerrin, B. (2009). Ave Maria. YouTube. Retrieved January 26, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgvJg7D6Qck

Joshua Bell with Friends @ the Penthouse.(2009). Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from

http://www.pbs.org/livefromlincolncenter/

Joshua Bell: Violinist [Electronic Version].(2000, May 08). People Magazine, 53(18). Retrieved January 26, 2010, from http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20131186,00.html

Probst, A. (2010). Harry Connick, Jr., Joshua Bell, Rent Concert, et. al Set for Hollywood Bowl Season [Electronic Version]. Theatre Mania. Retrieved January 27, 2010, from http://www.theatermania.com/los-angeles/news/01-2010/harry-connick-jr-joshua-bell-rent-concert-et-al-se_24551.html

Templeton, D. (2002). Joshua Bell on composition, hyperviolins, and the future [Electronic Version]. Strings Magazine. Retrieved on January 26, 2010, from http://www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/strings105/coverstory.html

Weingarten, G. (2007). Pearls Before Breakfast. Can one of the nation's great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? Let's find out [Electronic Version].The Washington Post. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html#video4

Ave Maria.(2009). YouTube. Retrieved January 26, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQVz6vuNq7s