JOSHUA BELL’S CARPE DIEM
Photo: wnycstudios.org
In 2007, the leading American newspaper The Washington Post published a story about classical music superstar, violinist Joshua Bell, who played for 43 minutes in the Washington Metro disguised as a street musician — using a Stradivarius violin.
Bell earned only $32 and was recognized by just one woman. The experiment was later reflected in the article «Pearls Before Breakfast» — a meditation on the phenomenon of «art without a frame».
In May 2021, major concerts featuring Joshua Bell and the New Era Orchestra took place in Kyiv and Odesa. In an interview with Huxley, the world-renowned violinist shares his views on the modern world and life.
«Everything you express must be genuine. Not what people want to hear», — the main lesson of his life.
ON THE SURVIVAL OF CULTURE DURING THE PANDEMIC
During the lockdown, people in the music world explored things connected to technology. I can imagine how lonely and isolated we would have felt without the internet. Many streamed music straight from their homes. I gave concerts that people listened to on their computers.
I enjoy having an audience when people gather in a concert hall. It’s much more pleasant to share the same space and feel the energy of the listeners. But I also started watching online concerts by my friends. At first, it felt awkward. But once you get used to it, you realize this format has its own advantages.
It can offer a very intimate experience since in a concert hall you are more distanced from one another. I think that after the pandemic, people will watch concerts online more often. But I also believe that audiences miss live venues. People are starved for culture and will value it much more than they did before. So I’m optimistic: culture and music will never die. Because they are too deeply woven into human life.
ON SUPPORTING CULTURE
It is in the interest of both society and the state to support culture. I’m from America, where the arts are mostly funded by individuals. This tradition goes back to wealthy patrons like Carnegie, and to enthusiasts who contribute to an orchestra or a classical radio station.
Even if you don’t have money, you can always donate 50 dollars a year. In some countries, like Austria, culture is a part of everyone’s life. Starting with a taxi driver who knows what opera is playing tonight. And this isn’t the concern of a few individuals — it’s in the DNA of the entire society.
But the government also has a role to play. The arts are usually overseen by local authorities. The Odesa Philharmonic tours the world, proving that there is culture in Ukraine. That’s excellent publicity — and it shows how culture can impact a country’s economy. But most importantly, it affects human development. Music, dance, art — these are eternal.
AUTHENTICITY AND TECHNOLOGY
I feel like I live in two completely different worlds. One is the modern world, because I love technology and computers. I carry my sheet music on an iPad and sometimes use it during concerts. I’m looking forward to the arrival of glasses that will let you read music unnoticed. I think it’ll happen in the next 5–10 years.
I created a virtual instrument using my Stradivarius violin: I recorded every sound it produced. Now composers can write and listen to music as if it were played on my violin. It turned out to be a very realistic instrument — it’s called the Stradivarius virtual violin.
But despite my love for new toys, my main toy was made 300 years ago. And the music I play was written two to three centuries before today. But that’s the beauty of classical music — it’s timeless. Like classical literature, it speaks to every generation, to all of us.
NATIONAL CULTURES AND GLOBALIZATION
Globalization is a blend of different cultures. In a single program, I might play music by composers from Hungary, Russia, and the United States. I studied with people from all over the world and traveled extensively. I performed in Kyiv, and now I’m playing in Odesa for the first time — a place I’ve long wanted to visit, as it’s the birthplace of Oistrakh and other great violinists. My grandmother was from Minsk, so I feel a connection to this culture. On one hand, I’m an American nut, but on the other — a citizen of the world.
A TEACHER’S ADVICE
As a child, I felt different from other kids. I had a passion for music and began playing at the age of four. Most children don’t know what they want to be when they grow up. But that wasn’t the case for me: by the age of 12, I knew I wanted to become a professional musician.
My role model was my teacher, Josef Gingold, who was originally from Belarus. He agreed to take me on as a student after my parents assured him they weren’t trying to turn their son into a «star». My family was involved in music, but they played for pleasure. It was thanks to my teacher that I chose this path.
Josef Gingold gave me the best advice — about authenticity. Everything you express must be genuine. Not what people want to hear. You need to discover your true relationship with music. It’s a gift you can share with others.
ON MIRACLES
Everything I see in front of me is a miracle. The very fact that we are alive and breathing is a miracle. At the same time, I believe in science — I studied physics and astronomy, and I love the Big Bang theory. But science itself is a kind of miracle too.
However, I don’t believe in religious miracles — they’re not as interesting as the real ones. Nature, human DNA — that’s what I call a miracle. We see only a small part of the universe, and God is that vast part we don’t understand.
My mother is Jewish. My name has a biblical origin. And my three children are named Samuel, Benjamin, and Joseph — also from the Bible. But we’re not religious, and I don’t believe in God the way religious people do. Sadly, I have only one life.
IF NOT MUSIC…
If I had another life, I’d like to be a scientist. I have several friends who work in science. One of them is Brian Greene, a theoretical physicist from New York. He’s world-famous for his groundbreaking work in string theory and wrote the book The Elegant Universe. I love spending time with people like him.
ON MONEY
I don’t believe in life after death, so I spend my money here and now (laughs). Honestly, I would love to live forever. Some people think eternal life would be boring. But I’m a creative person, and I believe there’s an endless number of things to create and discover. So I would never be bored.
Money is secondary. It helps to grease the wheels of life. But it’s not life itself. I enjoy earning, I enjoy spending, and I enjoy giving. People love to say that money is evil — or that money is good. I think money is neither good nor bad. The very concept of money is beautiful. It keeps the world turning. But I don’t live for it.
VIOLIN AND BASKETBALL
During the pandemic, I played basketball every day. I can spend an hour alone just shooting hoops. It helps me develop visualization and memory. I also play golf. Both sports require the same kind of focus. That aspect of sports and playing an instrument are very similar.
SUCCESS
It’s wrong to talk about «succeeding» or «failing». I love music, I want to be a musician, and maybe that won’t bring me great wealth — but how can that be called failure? If you don’t perform at Carnegie Hall, that doesn’t make you a failure. People who think they’ve failed had the wrong expectations.
If you ask me why I’ve been successful, I’d say it’s a combination of many factors. Talent and practice alone aren’t enough to become a professional musician. Besides ability, you need your family to be a psychological foundation that supports you from an early age in sustaining this lifestyle. Some very talented people fall apart because they can’t handle the demands of a schedule like mine.
I was lucky I could endure it, because I had a very strong and supportive family — my psychological foundation. Both of my parents were psychologists. But that doesn’t mean they were good parents (laughs).
WHY SO MANY JEWS PLAY THE VIOLIN
It’s not that Jews are more talented. It’s about family values — in Jewish families, the mothers are very strong. To succeed in music, you need to start very young and have determined parents. That’s something of a Jewish trait. If parents say, «Practice only if you feel like it», it won’t work.
Also, Jews have role models. As soon as the first Jewish violinist appeared, the next generation said: «Oh, look at Oistrakh. He did it. I’m Jewish too — I want to do the same». Tiger Woods was the first Black golf player, and then hundreds of great Black golfers followed.
Chinese parents and other Asian families are very similar to Jews when it comes to music. They’re just as strong. That’s why their children succeed. It all comes down to the family values of hard work.
MARCEL PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE
The main trait of your character…
Obsession.
Qualities you value in men?
Integrity and honesty.
Qualities you value in women?
The same as in men. I can’t stand pretense.
Your biggest flaw…
Procrastination. When I don’t want to do something — like writing thank-you notes, for example.
Your favorite pastime…
Having lunch with friends.
Your idea of happiness…
Family and friends. And laughter.
Your greatest misfortune…
Losing my father.
If you could go back in time, what would you change?
As a teenager, I would’ve studied languages and learned to play the piano. I had a great memory back then. But I wasted too much time playing video games.
A vivid childhood memory…
Exploring nature with my two sisters. I grew up in a small town.
A life-changing event…
Meeting my teacher, Josef Gingold, when I was 12.
City of freedom and happiness…
New York.
Favorite writer and book…
The first Russian novel I read as a teenager was Crime and Punishment. I love Dostoevsky.
Favorite TV series…
Breaking Bad.
What do you hate?
Intolerance. Xenophobia, racism, and the like. And I don’t mean just conservatives — liberals can be intolerant too. Intolerance comes from both sides. I don’t like this division between left and right. I’m a mix of many things.
Your motto…
Carpe diem.
How would you like to die?
As late as possible and without pain. Surrounded by family. I’d like to have a chance to say goodbye to everyone.
Interviewed by Zhanna Kryuchkova
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