Would you recognize beauty incognito?
Guess what happens when a famous musician in plainclothes performs during rush hour in a D.C. subway stop? In a beautifully written story about violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, Gene Weingarten of the Washington Post waxes on about this question:
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
-- from "Leisure," by W.H. Davies
Weingarten writes: "Do you hurry past with a blend of guilt and irritation, aware of your cupidity but annoyed by the unbidden demand on your time and your wallet? Do you throw in a buck, just to be polite? Does your decision change if he's really bad? What if he's really good? Do you have time for beauty? Shouldn't you? What's the moral mathematics of the moment......No one knew it, but the fiddler...
...standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made."
If you do one thing today, read this story! It will squeeze your insides and make you want to send Weingarten's astute words to every musician you know. Or maybe that's just me.
On a different note (da dun ching!), Bell is a total hottie.
Comments
I remember this story and it's amazing. And you are right about Josh being a hottie -- a 40 year old hottie to boot! When he comes to town, you absolutely must go see him. a few times a year and plays at Disney Hall. We caught his performance last year when he guested with the young musicians from the Colburn School of Music (USC) who were in awe of him, as were we all!
Posted by: Lisa Lyons | January 31, 2008 5:43 PM