Date: Saturday, Dec 5, 2009
Dinner:  MRBA will supply pizza and drinks (BYOB)
Location: Ruby’s Inn & Convention Center, North Reserve, Missoula, MT
Time: 2pm to midnight or later

We’ll kick off the meeting at 2pm followed by shake and howdies and picking the bluegrass music until dinner at 6:00pm. After dinner we will pick into the wee hours of Sunday morning. As in years past we will have several different rooms available to have jams of all levels of players. Ruby’s is also offering their normal Bluegrass Rate for those who want to stayover on Saturday Night.

Please come and join in the meeting and see how you can help to keep this a great group. We have several Board Members leaving the board this year and need your support to keep things going. Ben has also finished his sting as Editor of the newsletter. This is a very important and fun role in the association. Please step up and help out with the newsletter.

If you have any suggestions for agenda items please email mrba@mtbluegrass.com.

Note:  This will not be a potluck!

Please tell us about October events no later than Tuesday, Sept. 15. Remember to include a brief description, time, date, venue and phone number (or use our handy online events submission form at www.livelytimes.com). 

 

Hope you’re finding time to savor these last days of summer!

 

The Livelies

 

Lively Times

33651 Eagle Pass Tr.

Charlo, MT 59824

406-644-2910

www.livelytimes.com

 

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 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 all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

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.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. 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.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities. The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

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?

Don’t miss this year’s Annual Party.