One life, but we're not the same

[venta]

Nearly two years ago, hendybear gave me a lovely mp3 player as a birthday present. It is none of your iPod nonsense, it plays any format you care to chuck at it and doesn't require specialised software to shove songs onto it. I love it.

"Ha!" I thought as I unpacked it. "Now I can walk round with music in my ears all the time."

I use my mp3 player a lot. It's also a recorder, so it helps me mp3 the tape-tracks which appear in The Box on Fridays. On long car journeys in plugs into my car stereo. It provides me with portable music when I go away, and helps me pass long train journeys.

However, it very rarely comes out with me on walks.

The other day I rounded a corner in London, and heard an amazing noise. I detoured off my route to find it, stopped to listen to the busking duo I found, and ultimately chucked money in their bucket just as they were packing up. A saxophonist was playing improvised jazz over a fantastic percussion line - provided by a bloke who sat in front of an array of upturned buckets, mess tins and a water-cooler refill. His only "proper" equipment was drumsticks and a cymbal which lay on the ground, damped by his foot. He was absolutely awesome, both to watch and to listen to, and I was completely transfixed. A smart, middle-aged lady, a bunch of emo kids and I all applauded when they reached the end of the set.

At the same time, I was saddened by the number of people walking past completely oblivious. I understand not everyone likes buskers, not every likes jazz, some people are in a hurry, etc. But to have so little interest in things going on a scant six feet away is something I don't understand. In particular one gent, probably about my age, was walking along reading a magazine; tell-tale white wires ran out of his ears and under his jumper. He was completely insulated in his own world, impervious to anything in his surroundings.

Listening to a music player while outside gives you two options: keep it quiet, and be continually interrupted by station announcements, people, buskers, screaming, or turn it right up and hear nothing from the outside world. The first is irritating, but the second removes the point of being outside.

Even if I'm doing a daily commute, I want to be aware of my world. I want to hear station announcements (they might affect me), I want to hear buskers and I want to interact with people. If something is happening, I want to understand it and perhaps I want to join in. Some of those things might be an annoyance at times but they are the The World; I am in it, and it's the only one I've got.

People have occasionally expressed envy that so much Stuff happens around me, that so much anecdoteworthiness can crop up on a single journey. The Stuff is there for all - I was just looking when it happened.

It's your world, too. Are you going to join in ?

Comments

[daevid.livejournal.com]

This is so very true :) I enjoy hearing the sounds of life outside so i either keep my Zen turned fairly low or not have it on altogether (unless i am alone on a bus or train as it helps with the journey).

Music should be for enjoyment but not at the expense of the society we live in nor as a meaningless wall of sound to shut the world out. It lessens the purpose of music to entertain, influence and inform :)

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

This is partly why I don't listen to music in public - you have to turn it up so loud to hear it properly when you're on public transport that you end up oblivious to everything around you, and also inflicting your basslines on everyone else.

I'd always rather read a book, in which I can immerse myself and shut out the outside world without feeling as though I'm missing out or annoying other people.

[dr-mitch.livejournal.com]

I'm with you! I used to make an exception for long train journeys and flights, but the last couple of times I've travelled I've ended up having some pretty interesting conversations with my fellow passengers- something I'd have missed out on.

I still want an mp3 player- it's a cool gadget. But I doubt I'd use it much.

[hughe.livejournal.com]

i've only been recently using my mp3 player while walking around/on tubes. buti usualy have it very low... i have some great in-ear earphones that have great sound even when quiet.

At the same time, I was saddened by the number of people walking past completely oblivious.

I do tend to walk past buskers, at tube stations anyway, (I usualy don't have any change on me anyway, and I'm generaly always late) but mainly because I don't like the idea of being presenting with uninvited music and expected to pay for it. Especialy the train walkers who scowl at you and mutter under their breath that they have taken the time to play for you and you are cheating them out of their pay and livelyhood. It's on par with "toilet assistants". Or worse, the TV License.

If I like a busker and I stop to listen I'll pay them.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I think there's a difference between 'walking past' buskers and ignoring them. I regularly walk past, because I don't have any change, don't want to give any, don't think they're worth it or don't like the music. There are some awful buskers. However, I don't *ignore* them. I listen as I walk past, and at least glance in their direction.

I don't regard buskers as presenting uninvited music and expecting to be paid for it - that sounds like a very passive/agressive view of it (though from feanelwa's comments elsewhere on this thread, it sounds like Cambridge buskers are a bit of a menace). Buskers are offering music, and inviting you to pay for it. Declining is perfectly fine in my book, I shouldn't be expected to pay: for this reason I also very much dislike the train-walkers and refuse to give them any money on principle.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

In Cambridge I walk past buskers because they're shit, and they shout at people for not giving them money (sadly it has never been me and given me some licence to shout back). Music is better noises than cars, trains or buses. On the Tube sometimes I listen to the buskers and give them money but it's easier not to remove the handy annoying people who talk to you and then ask you for money to buy drugs repellents from your ears between the street and the train.

[venta.livejournal.com]

See reply to hughe above. I think there's a difference between walking past a busker and deciding they're shit (perfectly reasonable) and ignoring them such that you have no idea whether they're any good or not.

[lathany.livejournal.com]

How often are you in London these days?

I want to hear station announcements (they might affect me),

Yeah - and I like the occasional sweet or funny one.

Some of those things might be an annoyance at times but they are the The World; I am in it, and it's the only one I've got ... The Stuff is there for all

<smiles>

It's been the sort of day, where I needed reminding of that - thank you, you made me feel better.

[ringbark.livejournal.com]

Yeah - and I like the occasional sweet or funny one.
Earlier this week...

This train will be calling at all the usual suspects, and additionally at...

(Sorry, didn't catch the name of the additionals. I only cared that it would be stopping at Wembley Stadium.)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Happy to be of service :)

My London-presence is extremely variable. I've been in London a lot over the past month, but in general I'm here weekdays if there's some thing I'm going to, and at weekends if there isn't something I'm going to somewhere else :)