Tag: Musician

Friday’s Funk

~ JodiLea

Q. What happened to Giggles & Bits Thursday?  beating_heart
A. Prince died

And now the funk has followed me into Friday. It’s a numb, sad, feeling of loss. I am wondering why this affects me so much, I’m a fan, yes, but I have not followed his music for years now. He was one of my favorite musicians during the 80’s. I had a lot of favorites back then, the 80’s were great for rock & roll. Queen, Aerosmith, Joan Jett, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner, Bruce “The Boss” Springsteen, and Michael Jackson – to name a few.

So… Now I am thinking about how celebrity deaths come in 3’s. Doris Roberts, now Prince. Who is behind door number 3?  Perhaps 1 and 2 are Garry Shandling & Doris Roberts, or Patty Duke and Garry, then Doris, making Prince number 1. We won’t know until the rest of April goes by. If a major celebrity passes before May, Prince would really be number 2 (I think.) Anyway, that is confusing and not even the point.

What is my point?

I have been depressed this month, before Prince left this world. Now I’m depressed AND sad. This means it’s time to write a Gratitude List. Tonight I’m too tired (and sad). This week-end I will make the time to write one. I know it will make me feel better!

♥  Rest in Peace, my Prince  ♥

Rushing Through Life

~ JodiLea

When I read this article it gave me chills.

In Washington, DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.

Violinist at MetroDuring that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.  After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing.  He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar.  A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.  The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time.  This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent – without exception – forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while.  About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over.  No one noticed and no one applauded.  There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world.  He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story.  Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Thanks to Lois Seiler for passing along this story