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I think people are probably more concerned with how to pay the bills and deal with the constantly escalating college tuition costs than with trying to show off their musical and lyrical talents. This is what happens in a state that's not as much concerned with the condition of the Arts scene & the education system as it is with protecting the extremely well-off.
People need to have a certain level of economic "comfort" before they can feel charitable enough to designate some of their personal time to entertain others. What that level is or should be, I'm not so sure about.
Maybe when people find out what that level is, we as a society should be able & willing to take some of the economic pressure off these GSU music students. This way, rather than those students taking those 2 or 3 extra jobs in their downtime, they can bring those of us who frequent the Atlanta broad street restaurants often some more instrumental joy!
At least that's my take on the situation.
Oh, I don't think street musicians are necessarily in it for the money. They don't need a government grant to get out and share their music. The times I've done it I just found a spot where I wasn't an obstruction and started playing. It was nice to have folks throw some money in the hat but it wasn't all about that. You get a chance to show what you can do and put yourself out there, to meet people, hone your skills, and hopefully make your city a little more lively and pleasant.
I was in Boston last year and came across a street musician who was really great. We wound up talking for an hour and he invited me to play a few songs with him. What a blast! I left $20. We exchanged email addresses and I've kept up with his career, recommended him to others and bought his CD.
A lot of musicians and artists get a foothold by showcasing what they can do, and it's often gratis. There's a long tradition of troubadours and street artists. I don't see a problem with that.
Oh, I don't think street musicians are necessarily in it for the money. They don't need a government grant to get out and share their music. The times I've done it I just found a spot where I wasn't an obstruction and started playing. It was nice to have folks throw some money in the hat but it wasn't all about that. You get a chance to show what you can do and put yourself out there, to meet people, hone your skills, and hopefully make your city a little more lively and pleasant.
I was in Boston last year and came across a street musician who was really great. We wound up talking for an hour and he invited me to play a few songs with him. What a blast! I left $20. We exchanged email addresses and I've kept up with his career, recommended him to others and bought his CD.
A lot of musicians and artists get a foothold by showcasing what they can do, and it's often gratis. There's a long tradition of troubadours and street artists. I don't see a problem with that.
I was going to say basically the same thing.
At risk of making a huge generalization, the type of person who tends to become a street musician is one who would rather go sing or play on the sidewalk than sit around watching tv or twittering. We all have leisure activities. This is theirs.
I think people are probably more concerned with how to pay the bills and deal with the constantly escalating college tuition costs than with trying to show off their musical and lyrical talents. This is what happens in a state that's not as much concerned with the condition of the Arts scene & the education system as it is with protecting the extremely well-off.
People need to have a certain level of economic "comfort" before they can feel charitable enough to designate some of their personal time to entertain others. What that level is or should be, I'm not so sure about.
Maybe when people find out what that level is, we as a society should be able & willing to take some of the economic pressure off these GSU music students. This way, rather than those students taking those 2 or 3 extra jobs in their downtime, they can bring those of us who frequent the Atlanta broad street restaurants often some more instrumental joy!
At least that's my take on the situation.
I attended GSU's School of Music and I can pretty much guarantee you, even in this crappy economy, most of those kids aren't fretting about trying to keep a roof over their head or anything. The myth of the poor college student rooming with 10 other students and eating ramen is just that, a myth. Sure, most aren't living the high life but don't act like they are characters in a Dickens novel. Now it's a totally different story when they actually earn that music degree and start looking for a real job...
Unfortunately, most of those students are alone in small rooms torturing themselves with scales or other rote exercises that do more to completely kill their interest in music than to spark creativity(burn-out is very common amongst music students). I actually think some sort of free-rein public performance should be added as an elective to encourage students to get out and play whatever they want to for others. The faculty needs to take charge for a change and encourage students to contribute to the arts scene in ways they may not be aware of. We don't need more designated state funding or anything like that for that to happen.
Maybe, but from reading the responses, I can't help but wonder what sort of sizeable commitment the art community would typically get from the public & private sectors in New York City or Boston versus that which is received in Atlanta. I would wager that there is a huge difference and it may somehow influence a potential artist's ability to get his or her foot in the door. The atmosphere of a community as it relates to support for the Arts scene does count for something, would you not agree?
Also I have to wonder: why is it that when the Season 9 "American Idol" casting call took place at the Georgia Dome, there were oceans of singers & musicians willing to show their chops...but on any other day, art-impaired laymen like myself are hardpressed to see any definitive proof of a supposedly vibrant arts scene in Atlanta? Seems that practicing the arts in public for the simple joy of it isn't on the minds of a lot of people in Atlanta, hmmm?
Quite frankly I shouldn't have to search for this stuff; the streets of Atlanta should be oozing with art for my observation. But then again, that goes back to whether or not the GSU music students feel strongly that is there is a community that wants to strongly support what they have to show.
Just sayin' I guess...
Quote:
Originally Posted by arjay57
Oh, I don't think street musicians are necessarily in it for the money. They don't need a government grant to get out and share their music. The times I've done it I just found a spot where I wasn't an obstruction and started playing. It was nice to have folks throw some money in the hat but it wasn't all about that. You get a chance to show what you can do and put yourself out there, to meet people, hone your skills, and hopefully make your city a little more lively and pleasant.
I was in Boston last year and came across a street musician who was really great. We wound up talking for an hour and he invited me to play a few songs with him. What a blast! I left $20. We exchanged email addresses and I've kept up with his career, recommended him to others and bought his CD.
A lot of musicians and artists get a foothold by showcasing what they can do, and it's often gratis. There's a long tradition of troubadours and street artists. I don't see a problem with that.
Last edited by AcidSnake; 07-07-2011 at 11:44 AM..
Also I have to wonder: why is it that when the Season 9 "American Idol" casting call took place at the Georgia Dome, there were oceans of singers & musicians willing to show their chops...but on any other day, art-impaired laymen like myself are hardpressed to see any definitive proof of a supposedly vibrant arts scene in Atlanta? Seems that practicing the arts in public for the simple joy of it isn't on the minds of a lot of people in Atlanta, hmmm?
Atlanta is a very "I got mine" type of place. People trying to get on American Idol are not creating art, they are trying to "get theirs." They are not artists*.
Street musicians aren't usually trying to "get" anything except maybe a few smiles from passersby and some loose change.
*And, unfortunately, neither are the vast majority of street musicians I've encountered in this city, which is why I started this thread.
I attended GSU's School of Music and I can pretty much guarantee you, even in this crappy economy, most of those kids aren't fretting about trying to keep a roof over their head or anything. The myth of the poor college student rooming with 10 other students and eating ramen is just that, a myth. Sure, most aren't living the high life but don't act like they are characters in a Dickens novel. Now it's a totally different story when they actually earn that music degree and start looking for a real job....
That kind proves my point. If there is a true Art scene in Atlanta, would these students really have to feel the pressure of finding a job to pay the tuition & loans? Should there not be local private benefactors generous enough to pay tuition so that music students like yourself would be feel more free to practice their craft? That's where I'm getting at.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DTL3000
Unfortunately, most of those students are alone in small rooms torturing themselves with scales or other rote exercises that do more to completely kill their interest in music than to spark creativity(burn-out is very common amongst music students). I actually think some sort of free-rein public performance should be added as an elective to encourage students to get out and play whatever they want to for others. The faculty needs to take charge for a change and encourage students to contribute to the arts scene in ways they may not be aware of. We don't need more designated state funding or anything like that for that to happen.
That's a great idea and one would hope that someone high up in echelons of Georgia State University's music school has the cajones to carry out such a daring idea.
But seeing as how the University System of Georgia has been eating it in terms of funding from the state lately, it seems a lot of the faculty have lot more pressing issues on their mind, like keeping their jobs. Which again, pretty much goes back to what I am saying about Atlanta & Georgia's public & private support for the Arts community and lack thereof.
Maybe, but from reading the responses, I can't help but wonder what sort of sizeable commitment the art community would typically get from the public & private sectors in New York City or Boston versus that which is received in Atlanta. I would wager that there is a huge difference and it may somehow influence a potential artist's ability to get his or her foot in the door. The atmosphere of a community as it relates to support for the Arts scene does count for something, would you not agree?
Also I have to wonder: why is it that when the Season 9 "American Idol" casting call took place at the Georgia Dome, there were oceans of singers & musicians willing to show their chops...but on any other day, art-impaired laymen like myself are hardpressed to see any definitive proof of a supposedly vibrant arts scene in Atlanta? Seems that practicing the arts in public for the simple joy of it isn't on the minds of a lot of people in Atlanta, hmmm?
Quite frankly I shouldn't have to search for this stuff; the streets of Atlanta should be oozing with art for my observation. But then again, that goes back to whether or not the GSU music students feel strongly that is there is a community that wants to strongly support what they have to show.
Just sayin' I guess...
I don't think there's a lack of street musicians due to there being little or no support for the arts in Atlanta. I think it's more of a density/lifestyle issue. There are simply more people in a smaller place in places like New York and Boston(where I really didn't see any street musicians on my one day visit in the summer).
Street musicians may not be in it for the money but they don't want to sit around playing on an empty sidewalk. Therefore, their options are severely limited in this city. The only feasible options are the Broad Street area and possibly Piedmont Park on the weekends during the day and the bar districts at night. Atlanta lacks the busy squares of New York as well as the giant subway stations. I actually think Marta doesn't even allow musicians to perform at their stations.
I also agree with JPD to an extent. Atlanta produces a lot of wannabes and not a lot of folks who do it just for the hell of it. A lot of folks think they should be in the studio with Dallas Austin so why the hell should they be performing on the streets for free? Also, ironically, rap isn't that interesting when it comes to "street" performance.
That kind proves my point. If there is a true Art scene in Atlanta, would these students really have to feel the pressure of finding a job to pay the tuition & loans? Should there not be local private benefactors generous enough to pay tuition so that music students like yourself would be feel more free to practice their craft? That's where I'm getting at.
The line about finding a job after getting a music degree was sort of a sarcastic joke. I agree that the arts are important but what makes a musician more worthy of public support than an engineer, doctor, or scientist? You could actually argue that all those are more valuable to society than someone who plays music written by a bunch of dead guys who wore wigs.
I actually think the arts fare pretty well in Atlanta as a whole but it's more the nature of the city than any lack of public/private support that prevents a vibrant street arts scene from developing.
Atlanta is a very "I got mine" type of place. People trying to get on American Idol are not creating art, they are trying to "get theirs." They are not artists*.
I agree that Atlanta has an "I got mine" type of culture, but you can't place that blame on the regular people I think. It trickles down from the top by virtue of corporate media and the sinister decisions of an influential few to hoard a disproportionate share of the fiscal resources.
I also disagree about the fact that there aren't artists within this group. It's just that they are guided by a different type of inspiration into getting in the industry. You may not agree with this type of inspiration, but this is simpy the way our country is at this point in time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JPD
Street musicians aren't usually trying to "get" anything except maybe a few smiles from passersby and some loose change.
*And, unfortunately, neither are the vast majority of street musicians I've encountered in this city, which is why I started this thread.
I would wager that there would be more high quality street musicians coming into the game if the right circumstances were made present in Atlanta.
It's no different than the argument of why most of the high quality young black athletes go towards basketball and football rather than baseball, hokey, and even baseball. It's the high availability of resources, community support, and location, I would say.
The line about finding a job after getting a music degree was sort of a sarcastic joke. I agree that the arts are important but what makes a musician more worthy of public support than an engineer, doctor, or scientist? You could actually argue that all those are more valuable to society than someone who plays music written by a bunch of dead guys who wore wigs.
I'm not making that apples & oranges argument, so why would you introduce the engineer and doctor stuff into this conversation? I am simply giving my reasoning as to why there aren't enough street musicians of high caliber in downtown Atlanta, that's all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DTL3000
I actually think the arts fare pretty well in Atlanta as a whole but it's more the nature of the city than any lack of public/private support that prevents a vibrant street arts scene from developing.
The nature of the city and its support for the arts go hand and hand, I think.
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