Two women walked into Clarion as I was waiting for my piano student to arrive. They played the collection of singing bowls, finger cymbals and shook all the sound makers that could be shaken. One of the women was entranced by the overtones of the Tibetan tingsha cymbals and decided to test all of them. She found a pair that she loved and proceeded to pay for them.
“It’s thirty-five dollars.” Jien the owner rang up the sale.
“Oh, that’s too much. I’m sorry but I wasn’t prepared to spend that much on a set of cymbals.” The woman said.
Her companion was shocked. “If you really like it…”. But the woman was adamant about her decision and she escaped with her purse tightly zipped.
Retail! Jien and I looked at each other with bemusement. Down at Union Square people don’t give a thought spending money on clothing and shoes and toys and cosmetics. But what price is sound, especially the one that makes you stop and listen and wonder?
