[MD] Joshua Bell piece in the Washington Post

[Case]

[Platt]
I attribute the lack of reaction to a lack of educated taste. The arts are
given short shrift in most schools. It takes some effort to learn the
difference between good and bad art and artists.

[Case]
I have only traveling by subway on vacations and so the experience is always
kind of fun for me. But I notice that the Boston subways have lots of street
musicians in them I always pay attention to them and chip in a contribution
when my wife is not looking.

So it is not as though when Bell is performing in a subway he is unusual. I
suspect the lack of interest is a matter of context. People in a hurry are
not going to stop. They hear music all around them all the time. I quoted
Joni Mitchell's song "For Free" recently. I suspect it applies here as well.